THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 

GIFT  OF 


Kenneth  Macgowan 


THE  FAITHFUL 


BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR 


THE  DAFFODIL  FIELDS 

PHILIP  THE  KING,  and  other 
Poems 

THE  EVERLASTING  MERCY  and 
THE  WIDOW  IN  THE  BYE 
STREET  (1  volume) 

THE  STORY  OF  A  ROUND-HOUSE, 
and  other  Poems 

SALT  WATER  BALLADS 
A  MAINSAIL  HAUL 

THE  TRAGEDY  OF  POMPEY  THE 
GREAT 


THE  FAITHFUL 


A  TRAGEDY  IN  THREE  ACTS 


BY  ,  - 
JOHN  M ASEFIELD 

AUTHOR  OF  "  THM  TRAGEDY  CiF-  .P<>MPET  THE  GR3AT  V 
"  THE  3  t'ERLASTINQ*  MERCY,"  ETC. 


fork 
THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

1915 

All  rights  reserved 


.'•'.,     ,  '"        BY  JOHN  AIAF 

»  , 

,'  • ,  Set  up  and  eletfrotypcd. .  Published  September,  1915. 


Tfc 


To 
MY  WIFE 

THIS  BOOK  IS  AFFECTIONATELY  INSCRIBED 


NOTE 

This  play  is  written  to  be  played  uninterruptedly,  with- 
out more  break  in  the  action  than  is  necessary  to  get  the 
actors  off  the  stage  and  to  raise  the  screen  or  curtain  divid- 
ing the  scenes. 

There  are  only  two  scenes:  one  the  front  part  of  the 
stage,  left  quite  bare,  without  decoration,  but  with  a 
screen,  set,  or  backcloth  at  the  back,  representing  a  Japa- 
nese landscape,  with  hills  and  water,  all  wintry  and  severe; 
the  other,  the  back  of  the  stage,  visible  when  this  screen 
is  lifted,  a  room  in  a  Japanese  palace,  very  beautiful,  but 
bare,  save  for  a  few  flowers  and  a  picture  or  two. 

A  few  minutes  may  elapse  between  Acts  I  and  II,  and  a 
slightly  longer  wait  between  Acts  II  and  III. 


PERSONS 

ASANO,  A  Daimyo. 

KUBANO,  his  Counsellor.  s 

HAZAMA. 

SHODA. 

KIKA,  A  Daimyo. 

SAGISAKA,  his  Counsellor. 

KAMEI,  A  Daimyo. 

HONZO,  his  Counsellor. 

A  YOUTH  of  Kira's  palace. 

A  WOMAN  of  Kira's  palace. 

THE  ENVOY. 

A  POOR  GIRL. 

LADY  KURANO. 

A  CAPTAIN  of  Kira's  guards. 

CHIKARA,  Kurano's  son. 

FIRST  RONIN. 

SECOND  do. 

THIRD     do. 

FOURTH  do. 

FIFTH      do. 

A  HERALD. 

Guards,  Nobles,  Attendants,  Ronin. 

In  Act  I,  Scene  I,  throughout  Act  II,  and  in  Scenes  I,  II, 
and  IV  of  Act  III,  the  scene  is:  An  open  space  near  ASANO'S 
palace. 

In  Act  I,  Scene  II  and  in  Act  III,  Scene  III,  the  scene  is: 
A  room  in  KIRA'S  palace. 

TIME 

Acts  I  and  II,  10th  March,  1701. 
Act  III,  10th  March,  1702. 
ix 


ACT  I 


THE  FAITHFUL 

SCENE  I — The  outer  scene.     ASANO  alone,  dawn.    A  shaft 
of  light  strikes  colour. 

ASANO  [kneeling].  Light  that  my  soul  has 
followed,  bless  this  beloved  land,  where  I  work 
with  my  men  to  make  life  nobler.  For  now  my 
work  here  is  threatened  by  an  evil  man,  who 
draws  nearer  daily,  violating  Right  and  Law. 
[He  rises  and  stands  listening.]  Kurano. 

KTJEANO  [off].    Is  that  you,  Asano? 

KURANO  enters. 

ASANO.  Yes,  my  dear  friend,  I  have  waited 
for  you;  I  need  not  ask  your  news,  you  bring 
no  good  news;  I  see  that  in  your  face. 

KURANO.  No;  no  good  news.  The  Judges 
decided  against  us. 

ASANO.  You  bring  yourself  at  least.  Does 
your  wife  know? 


4  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  I 

KURANO.  Yes.  I  have  sent  to  tell  her.  The 
men  are  here,  if  you  will  speak  with  them;  they 
all  look  to  you  to  save  them. 

ASANO.  Let  them  come  in.  Do  they  guess 
that  we  have  lost? 

[KURANO  lifts  a  hand  to  the  men. 

KURANO.  Yes.  They  are  all  afraid  of  Kira. 
Come  in,  there. 

[The  men  come  in  and  crowd  about  the  lower 
steps. 

VOICES.  Asano!  Master  Asano!  Save  us 
and  defend  us,  beloved  master.  Lord  Kurano, 
beseech  our  master  to  help  us! 

KURANO.  Still!  Let  the  head  man  come 
forward.  Stand  there,  Hazama.  Our  master 
will  speak  to  you. 

[AsANO  comes  forward. 

VOICES.  Master  Asano!  Master  Asano! 
Defend  us,  master! 

ASANO.  Friends  and  fellow-workers,  it  is 
now  twenty  years  since  I  came  among  you  on 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  5 

the  death  of  my  father.  You  know  how,  in 
that  time,  we  have  worked  together,  making 
this  province  one  of  the  most  fruitful,  and  quite 
the  happiest,  in  the  Empire.  If  I  have  failed  in 
this  or  that,  I  know  that  I  have  won  your  friend- 
ship, and  that  you  have  been  happy  under  me. 
Latterly,  as  you  know,  our  happiness  has 
been  marred  by  the  actions  of  an  ambitious 
man,  whom  we  now  know  as  Lord  Kira.  Some 
of  you  can  remember  when  that  lord  was  a 
little  boy,  the  son  of  a  steward,  in  the  house 
of  old  Lord  Ashiza,  who  petted  him  for  his 
cleverness.  As  you  know,  presently,  when  Jie 
grew  up,  he  ousted  the  old  lord  and  took 
his  province.  Since  then,  all  of  you  have 
seen  his  treacheries  bringing  him  nearer  to 
this  valley  of  ours,  till  at  last  nothing 
but  the  hills  kept  him  from  us.  Last 
week  Lord  Kira  claimed  the  hills  and  oc- 
cupied them  with  hired  troops,  so  that  we 
could  no  longer  pasture  there.  I  made  my 


6  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  I 

protest  against  the  seizure.  Lord  Kurano  here 
has  just  returned  from  the  Courts  where  the 
protest  has  been  heard.  He  will  read  the 
Judges'  finding. 

VOICES.    Ah,  our  master  has  saved  us! 

HAZAMA.     Silence,  silence! 

KUEANO.  The  Judges  have  decided  that 
the  protest  lodged  by  Lord  Asano  cannot  stand, 
and  that  the  head  of  the  valley  claimed  by 
Lord  Kira  is,  truly,  Lord  Kira's  property,  to- 
gether with  its  inhabitants  and  their  posses- 
sions. And  to  this  they  set  their  seals. 

[A  moan  passes  over  the  crowd. 

HAZAMA.  But  the  head  of  the  valley  is  free 
land,  between  two  lordships.  It  has  been  free 
for  centuries.  It  cannot  be  Lord  Kira's. 

KURANO.  The  Judges  have  decided  that 
it  is. 

FIRST  RONIN.  And  all  that  mountain  pasture, 
and  the  glen  where  our  river  rises,  is  to  be  his? 

KURANO.    Yes. 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  7 

HAZAMA.    So.    Now  he  is  at  our  throats. 

ASANO.  It  is  bad  news;  but  not  hopeless. 
We  have  failed  in  these  Courts;  but  Lord  Kira 
is  not  here  yet.  We  may  still  stop  him.  We 
must  turn,  now,  to  our  work.  Meanwhile  do 
not  quarrel  with  Kira's  men,  whatever  the 
provocation,  and  above  all  trust  me,  and  be  of 
good  hope.  After  all,  a  way  may  be  found. 
Dismiss,  and  to  work,  Hazama. 

HAZAMA.  We  thank  you,  master  Asano. 
God  knows  we  trust  you. 

VOICES.    Thank  you,  master. 

HAZAMA.  Dismiss  now  to  work,  as  the 
master  bids. 

[They  go  out. 

KUEANO.    What  hope  have  you,  then? 

ASANO.    None. 

KURANO.    None? 

ASANO.  Only  a  faith,  and  that  is  shaken, 
that  the  triumph  of  the  wicked  is  a  short 
one. 


8  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  I 

KURANO.  It  was  a  wicked  judgment;  the 
Judges  were  bribed. 

ASANO.  It  seems  that  Kira  is  to  have  this 
province.  We  shall  be  his  next  prey.  And  I 
have  been  thinking  through  the  night  how  much 
this  place  means  to  me.  I  see  that  all  this  will 
have  to  end.  Our  life  here  and  all  that  we  have 
tried  to  do  is  at  Kira's  mercy.  We  muster 
some  seventy  men  and  boys;  Kira  since  his 
marriage  has  a  thousand.  What  can  we  do? 

KUKANO.    Rebel  and  die. 

ASANO.  Yes,  we  could  do  that.  But  I  want 
what  we  have  sown  to  live.  You  know  how 
my  ancestors  first  came  here.  They  were 
driven  from  home  and  roved  till  they  reached 
this  glen,  where  they  could  live  at  peace.  I 
shall  do  that,  Kurano.  I  shall  give  up  and  go, 
with  all  my  people. 

KURANO.    Where  to? 

ASANO.    To  the  outer  islands. 

KURANO.    And  leave  this  a  prey  to  Kira? 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  9 

ASANO.    It  is  that  already. 

KURANO.    Without  a  protest? 

ASANO.  What  other  protest  can  I  make? 
My  men  are  like  my  sons,  they  shall  not 
be  trampled  out  by  Kira.  I  will  carry  them 
out  of  his  reach. 

KURANO.    And  when  would  you  go? 

ASANO.    Soon. 

KURANO.  It  will  break  your  heart  to  leave 
this. 

ASANO.  Never  mind,  if  I  save  my  men 
from  Kira.  I  only  hesitate  for  your  sake,  for 
you  have  a  wife  and  son,  with  a  right  to  some- 
thing better  than  exile. 

KURANO.  There  is  a  kind  of  exile  which  is 
a  grand  career  for  any  wife  or  son.  .  .  .  But, 
Asano,  I  say  that  you  must  not  abandon  this 
place,  but  meet  Kira  with  arms,  and  bring  it 
to  civil  war  here.  No  one  has  dared  that 
yet,  so  Kira  has  prospered.  He  is  not  a 
robber;  he  is  nothing  so  noble;  he  is  a  knave.; 


10  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  I 

If  you  fight  him  he  will  draw  back  and  it  will 
come  to  the  Commander's  ears,  and  justice  will 
be  done. 

ASANO.  What  justice,  Kurano?  What  jus- 
tice should  I  get  in  any  Court  in  this  land? 

KUKANO.  The  justice  that  every  man  like 
myself  does  you  with  his  whole  heart. 

ASANO.  My  dear  Kurano,  what  Court  in 
the  land  would  not  decide  for  Kira,  the  ready 
and  the  lucky,  rather  than  for  me,  the  friend 
of  man?  Kira  would  ask  nothing  better  than 
for  me  to  attack  him.  I  am  suspect,  an  in- 
novator, an  unorthodox.  Every  knight  in  the 
land  would  be  glad  to  see  me  ruined.  Be- 
sides .  .  .  the  worth  of  the  law  has  been  proved 
already  in  yesterday's  case.  My  instinct  tells 
me  to  withdraw,  with  all  who  stand  by  me. 

KUKANO.  My  instinct  tells  you  to  stand 
firm. 

ASANO.  That  course  needs  your  power, 
which  I  have  not  got. 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  11 

KURANO.    Here  it  is,  by  you. 

ASANO.  We  must  live  by  our  own  laws, 
Kurano.  No  angel  is  given  two  messages.  I 
shall  warn  my  people  to-night  that  we  shall 
abandon  these  old  homes  of  ours.  Leave  word 
with  Hazama  that  they  muster. 

KURANO.  It  will  be  a  terrible  night  to  your 
friends. 

ASANO.  I  expect  the  parting  to  have  every 
circumstance  of  pain. 

KURANO.  You  spoke  a  moment  ago  as 
though  you  were  hated  and  Kira  loved.  Surely 
you  must  know  that  Kira  has  made  enemies 
wherever  he  has  gone. 

ASANO.  He  has  made  slaves,  Kurano.  His 
enemies  are  dead  or  beggared. 

KURANO.  He  is  feared,  then.  All  who  fear 
him  would  rally  to  the  first  man  to  stand  against 
him. 

ASANO.  Some  things  are  given  to  me, 
Kurano,  to  know  burningly.  I  know  that 


12  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  I 

Kira  has  a  conquering  star,  and  none  can  stand 
against  him  yet.  His  cup  is  not  full.  We  will 
go  into  the  wilderness  with  what  we  be- 
lieve. 

KURANO.    You  are  making  a  mistake,  Asano. 

ASANO.    I  see  this  too  clearly  for  that. 

KURANO.    You  are  despairing. 

ASANO.    I  neither  despair  nor  fear:  I  see. 

KURANO.  You  take  the  men's  view.  They 
think  that  Kira  is  a  power.  They  will  find  out 
their  mistake  too  late. 

ASANO.  They  will  have  their  freedom  at 
least. 

KURANO.    Perhaps.     I  will  tell  Hazama  to 
muster  them  after  work  to-night.    They  seem 
merry  yonder.    Listen!  there!    There  again. 
[A  sound  of  clapping  and  cheering  draws 
slowly  nearer. 

ASANO.  There  is  little  cause  for  rejoicing 
in  this  place. 

KURANO.    What  can  they  be  cheering  for? 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  13 

VOICES.  Victory.  Asano.  Victory.  Saved. 
Victory. 

ASANO.  Can  they  have  been  fighting  Kira's 
men? 

KTJRANO.    I  hope  so.    Hark! 

The  Men  appear. 

VOICES.  Victory.  Master  Asano,  they  are 
ruined.  Kira  is  ruined.  [The  Men  crowd  up. 

ASANO.    How  is  Kira  ruined? 

KURANO.  Keep  back.  Keep  back.  Let 
Hazama  come  forward.  Let  the  head  man 
speak;  silence,  the  others. 

ASANO.    What  news  have  you,  Hazama? 

HAZAMA.  Master  Asano,  we  left  you,  even 
now,  feeling  that  Lord  Kira  was  at  our  throats; 
we  had  little  hope  but  to  be  slaves,  and  worse 
than  that  for  some  of  us.  We  went  away  in 
despair,  Master  Asano,  and  now  a  blessing  has 
come  upon  us. 

ASANO.    Can  the  decree  be  annulled,  Kurano? 


14  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  I 

KURANO.  No.  What  blessing,  Hazama? 
How  has  a  blessing  come? 

HAZAMA.  We  had  gone  but  a  little  way,  to 
the  cross-roads  by  the  bridge,  when  there  came 
the  noise  of  a  horse  and  a  man  galloped  up,  a 
tall  man,  in  a  broidered  cloak,  riding  a  stallion 
which  was  all  great  flecks  of  foam.  And  when 
he  pulled  up,  the  wind  blew  the  cloak  back  and 
we  saw  all  gold,  and  never  once  for  thirty  years 
has  the  like  been  seen  here.  He  was  a  trumpeter. 

KURANO.    Is  this  one  of  their  visions? 

ASANO.  I  do  not  understand.  What  trum- 
peter? 

HAZAMA.  A  trumpeter  from  the  Presence. 
He  blew  a  great  blast  on  a  trumpet,  and  cried 
out  that  we  were  to  prepare. 

Then  he  said  if  any  of  us  had  a  complaint  to 
make,  or  a  petition  to  give,  or  suffered  from 
any  wrong,  or  were  in  fear  or  misery,  we  were 
to  take  heart. 

KURANO.    Yes? 


Ad  1}  THE  FAITHFUL  15 

HAZAMA.  Because  the  very  Presence  has 
sent  an  Envoy  here  to  right  all  troubles,  mas- 
ter, and  now  Lord  Kira  will  be  driven  back  and 
we  be  at  peace  again. 

VOICES.    It  is  blessed  news,  master. 

ASANO.  Thank  you,  Hazama.  Since  the 
Envoy  has  come  from  the  Presence,  a  thing 
unknown  hi  our  time,  we  may  be  sure  that  in- 
justice will  be  redressed.  Where  is  the  Envoy? 

HAZAMA.  He  is  in  the  province  already, 
master,  and  his  Court  is  to  be  held  to-day. 

ASANO.  Thank  you.  Let  this  news  reassure 
you.  Return  now  to  your  work,  and  be  thank- 
ful to  that  August  One  who  watches  even  over 
us,  in  this  far  corner. 

HAZAMA.  We  are  very  mindful  of  Him, 
Master  Asano. 

VOICES.  We  give  thanks  to  Hun  for  this 
doing  of  justice. 

[They  go  out. 

ASANO.    This  alters  everything.    I  shall  go 


16  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  I 

at  once  to  the  Envoy's  Court  and  appeal  against 
Kira. 

KURANO.  I  will  come  with  you.  Perhaps 
the  Court  has  heard  of  Kira  and  decided  to 
check  him. 

ASANO.  You  are  too  hopeful,  Kurano.  I 
only  hope  for  a  little  crumb  of  justice  in  this 
question  of  the  hills. 

KURANO.  Will  you  speak  to  the  men  to- 
night, notwithstanding? 

ASANO.    I  will  wait  till  I  know  what  the  day 

brings  forth. 

Enter  SHODA 

SHODA.  Have  I  the  honour  of  speaking  to 
Lord  Asano? 

ASANO.    I  am  Asano. 

SHODA.  I  come  from  the  Envoy  now  visiting 
this  province  to  tell  you  that  you  are  to  be 
specially  honoured  by  him. 

ASANO.  The  Envoy's  wishes  are  a  law  to  me, 
and  his  honour  more  than  I  deserve. 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  17 

SHODA.  You  have  been  appointed  to  be  the 
Envoy's  host  when  he  holds  his  Court  to-day. 

ASANO.  That  is  an  honour  indeed,  and  a 
very  grateful  pleasure. 

SHODA.  I  am  happy  that  my  message  pleases 
you.  The  Lord  Kamei  who  is,  I  believe,  your 
friend,  will  act  with  you  and  share  your  task. 

ASANO.  That  will  add  to  my  pleasure.  I 
have  long  known  Kamei. 

SHODA.  The  Envoy  wishes  me  to  say  that 
he  looks  forward  with  much  happiness  to  so 
pleasant  a  means  of  meeting  you,  of  whom  he 
has  so  often  heard  praise. 

ASANO.  I  hope  that  my  welcome  will  not  be 
unworthy  of  so  generous  a  lord.  Before  you 
go,  will  you  not  rest  in  my  house  a  little? 

SHODA.  I  cannot,  thank  you.  The  cere- 
mony will  begin  so  soon.  I  must  return. 

KURANO.  Is  not  the  ritual  of  receiving  the 
Envoy  a  difficult  one? 

ASANO.     I  know  nothing  of  the  ritual. 


18  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  1 

SHODA.  That  difficulty  has  been  foreseen 
and  arranged  for.  Your  friend  Lord  Kira,  will 
instruct  you  in  the  ritual. 

ASANO.    Lord  Kira? 

SHODA.  Lord  Kira,  yes.  He  will  receive  you 
at  any  hour,  the  earlier  the  better,  since  the 
ceremony  will  be  held  at  noon.  He  is  expecting 
you  now. 

ASANO.    Where  is  he  waiting  for  us? 

SHODA.  At  his  palace.  The  Envoy's  recep- 
tion will  take  place  in  Lord  Kira's  palace. 

ASANO.    We  will  wait  upon  Lord  Kira. 

SHODA.  I  shall  look  forward  to  meeting  you 
there  after  the  ceremony.  Good-bye  till  then. 

KURANO.    Good-bye.  [SHODA  goes. 

ASANO.  So  Kira  is  to  teach  us  the  ritual, 
and  I  am  to  receive  the  Envoy  in  Kira's  palace. 
The  issue  is  joined  indeed. 

KURANO.  It  could  not  fall  out  better.  You 
will  front  Kira  and  accuse  him  in  his  own  house, 
before  all  the  nobles  of  the  province. 


Ad  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  19 

ASANO.  I  am  troubled  though.  I  am  to  be 
his  pupil. 

KUBANO.  I  shall  be  with  you.  Come.  The 
chess-board  is  set. 

ASANO.  Still,  I  am  troubled.  I  feel  that 
Kira  has  contrived  this,  for  reasons  that  I  can- 
not see.  I  wish  that  this  had  not  happened. 

KURANO.  You  will  only  meet  Kira  officially, 
for  a  prescribed  ceremony.  You  will  not  even 
be  the  only  pupil,  for  Lord  Kamei  will  be  learn- 
ing with  you. 

ASANO.    I  have  misgivings. 

KUBANO.  All  great  things  come  from  mis- 
givings. 

ASANO.  Come  then.  It  is  tune.  Even  at 
our  wisest  Fate  uses  us;  and  I  shall  be  with  you. 

A  messenger  runs  in. 

THIBD  RONIN.     Lord   Kurano.     Lord   Ku- 
rano.    Your  lady. 
KUBANO.    What?   What  is  it? 


20  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  I 

THIRD  RONIN.  Your  lady  has  fallen,  Lord 
Kurano,  on  the  palace  steps. 

ASANO.    Is  she  killed? 

THIRD  RONIN.  Please  God,  no,  my  lord. 
But  she  calls  for  you  and  they  think  her  dy- 
ing. 

ASANO.  You  must  go.  I  will  go  on  alone  to 
Kira. 

KURANO.    If  I  can  come,  I  will  follow  you. 

ASANO.  I  trust  you  will  find  all  well.  Go 
now. 

KURANO.  Take  me  to  where  she  is.  [Turn- 
ing.] Asano,  promise  me  one  thing. 

ASANO.    What? 

KURANO.  That  you  will  be  on  your  guard 
with  Kira;  that  you  will  not  let  yourself  be  led 
away  by  him. 

ASANO.  I  am  playing  for  all  these  souls, 
Kurano.  But  who  can  promise  for  himself? 

KURANO.  You  can  and  must.  Do  you  under- 
stand? He  may  provoke  you.  Whatever  the 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  21 

provocation,  be  calm.     May  the  gods  guard 
you,  Asano. 

ASANO.    They  guard  us.    You,  too. 

KUKANO.  Please  Heaven.  I  have  misgivings 
now.  I  wish  I  were  coming  with  you. 

ASANO.  We  are  being  played  by  the  gods. 
Go,  now,  quickly. 

KURANO.  Yes.  Pray  the  gods  I  may  follow 
quickly. 

ASANO.  Now  hurry.  I  shall  be  late.  [They 
part  and  go  off  right  and  kft.  ASANO  turns.] 
Kurano.  Good-bye,  Kurano. 

[He  watches  KURANO  go. 

CURTAIN 


22  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  I 


SCENE  II — The  inner  scene. 

KIKA.  God  of  my  fortunes,  who  hast  brought 
me  from  being  the  steward's  son  to  be  Lord 
Kira.  Now  that  the  last  enemy,  Asano,  is 
within  the  net,  grant  me  thy  intellectual  power, 
that  I  may  strike  him  to  the  ground.  [Comes 
forward.]  Then  with  jewels  and  dominations 
I  shall  go  on.  My  power  will  stretch  to  the  sea. 
There  is  no  drunkenness  like  power.  Sagisaka. 

SAGISAKA  enters. 

SAGISAKA.    My  lord. 

KIRA.    Now  the  sun  rises,  friend. 

SAGISAKA.    Yes,  my  lord. 

KIRA.  You  see  you  were  wrong.  That 
stroke  on  the  valley-head  prospered. 

SAGISAKA.    They  will  appeal,  my  lord. 

KIRA.  Yes,  but  meanwhile  they  have  to 
learn  the  ritual.  Have  they  come  yet? 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  23 

SAGISAKA.    Asano  and  Kamei  have  come. 
They  are  outside. 

KIRA.    Tell  me  more  of  Kamei. 

SAGISAKA.    An  honest,  blunt  man,  wealthy, 
too;  he  has  a  pearl  fishery. 

KIRA.    He  is  not  a  friend  of  Asano's? 

SAGISAKA.    They  are  said  to  be  friendly. 

KIRA.    Nothing  in  the  nature  of  allies? 

SAGISAKA.    No. 

KIRA.    Let  us  see  these  pupils. 

[SAGISAKA  opens  door. 

Enter  KAMEI,  HONZO,  and  ASANO. 

KIRAV   Who  are  you?    Are  you  Lord  Kamei? 
KAMEI.    Yes. 
KIRA.    Who  is  with  you? 
KAMEI.    My  attendant,  Honzo. 
KIRA.    And  this  is  Lord  Asano.    Is  anyone 
with  you? 

ASANO.    No,  Lord  Kira. 
KIRA.    You  have  come  to  me  to  learn  the 


24  THE  FAITHFUL  (Act  I 

ritual  for  the  reception  of  the  Emperor's  Envoy. 
I  have  to  tell  you  that  the  Envoy  is  even  now 
within  this  palace,  and  that  this  is  therefore  a 
sacred  place.  I  need  not  remind  you  that  a 
place  so  hallowed  exacts  a  reverence.  My 
duty  prescribes  that  I  declare  this  room  hal- 
lowed. Whoever  breaks  its  peace,  by  violent 
act  or  oath,  by  blow  or  by  the  drawing  of  a 
weapon,  is  liable  to  the  punishment  of  death, 
with  confiscation  of  goods;  so  the  Emperor's 
edict  prescribes.  You  understand? 

KAMEI.    Yes. 

KIRA.    You,  Lord  Asano ;  do  you  understand? 

ASANO.    Perfectly. 

KIRA.  You  have  a  look  as  though  you  did 
not  understand  so  perfectly.  Sagisaka. 

SAGISAKA.    My  lord? 

KIRA.    Are  not  these  pupils  very  late? 

SAGISAKA.  They  appeared  to  think  not,  at 
the  door,  my  lord,  but  they  are  late,  some 
twenty  minutes. 


Ad  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  25 

KIRA.  It  is  very  annoying,  that  there  should 
be  so  little  care  to  be  punctual.  Give  word  for 
my  cordial  to  be  brought.  [SAGISAKA  goes  to 
the  door.]  Why  do  you  stand,  sir,  so  near  to  the 
pupils? 

HONZO.  I  am  in  attendance  upon  Lord 
Kamei. 

KIRA.  Your  place  is  near  the  door,  till  you 
are  wanted. 

HONZO.  I  am  sorry,  my  lord,  I  did  not  know. 

[The  cordial  enters. 

KIRA.    And  why  do  you  come  unattended? 

ASANO.  Lord  Kurano,  who  was  coming 
with  me,  was  detained. 

KIRA.    What  detained  him? 

ASANO.    An  accident  to  his  wife. 

KIRA.  Give  me  the  cordial  there.  [Drinks.] 
Sagisaka. 

SAGISAKA.    My  lord? 

KIRA.  Has  any  apology  been  received  from 
this  gentleman,  for  coming  alone? 


26  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  I 

SAGISAKA.    No,  my  lord. 

ASANO.  If  an  apology  is  necessary,  let  me 
state  my  regret  now.  Nothing  but  this  sudden 
accident  would  have  kept  Lord  Kurano  from 
being  present.  I  still  hope  that  he  may  be  here. 

KIRA.  Yes.  But  how  am  I  to  know  that 
this  accident  is  not  merely  an  excuse  to  be 
away? 

ASANO.    I  have  the  honour  to  tell  you. 

KIRA.  Can  you  vouch  for  the  accident  or 
have  you  only  heard  of  it? 

ASANO.  I  heard  of  it,  from  a  man  on  whose 
truth  I  can  depend. 

KIRA.  "  Truth  "  and  "  depend."  And  I  have 
to  depend  on  your  dependence  in  condonation  of 
your  fault,  which  is  tantamount  to  an  impiety. 
Why  did  you  bring  no  other  friend,  when  you 
knew  that  Lord  Kurano  could  not  come? 

ASANO.  As  I  said,  Lord  Kira,  I  still  hope  that 
Lord  Kurano  may  come  here  in  tune. 

KIRA.    You  were-  not  here  in  time  yourself. 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  27 

You  have  been  guilty  of  great  disrespect,  both 
in  coming  late  and  in  coming  alone.  Remove 
these  cups.  Ah,  Sagisaka. 

SAGISAKA.    My  lord? 

KIRA.    What  is  the  other  person's  name? 

SAGISAKA.    Kamei,  my  lord. 

KIRA.    Kamei.    What  made  you  late? 

KAMEI.    I  was  not  late,  Lord  Kira. 

KIRA.  You  will  not  improve  your  case  by 
denial.  You  have  heard  this  gentleman  say 
that  you  are  late. 

KAMEI.    He  is  not  a  gentleman. 

SAGISAKA.  They  came  on  foot  to  the  gate. 
The  porter  took  them  for  beggars. 

KIRA.  I  have  heard,  and  the  Envoy  has 
heard,  of  new  opinions  in  this  province,  of  a 
want  of  respect  for  sacred  things,  of  contempt 
for  order,  and  distaste  for  duty.  I  grieve  to 
find  evidence  of  all  these  things  in  your  be- 
haviour to-day.  You  come  late,  you  come  im- 
properly, unattended,  dusty,  and  inclined  to 


28  THE  FAITHFUL  [Ad  I 

rudeness.  The  Envoy  will  be  pained  to  hear 
my  report  of  you. 

KAMEI.  Lord  Kira,  we  have  come  to  learn 
the  ritual  from  you.  If,  as  you  say,  we  are  late, 
it  might  be  well  if  you  would  confine  yourself 
to  that. 

KIRA.  You  will  remember  this  person's  re- 
marks. 

SAGISAKA.    Yes,  my  lord. 

KIRA.  I  will  read  those  letters  if  you  will 
bring  them  to  me.  [Reads.]  You  may  take  this 
one,  Sagisaka.  [Gives  letter.]  This  needs  no  an- 
swer. Asano,  I  have  a  letter  here  from  my 
steward.  He  complains  that  in  spite  of  the 
Judges'  verdict  yesterday  your  men  still  persist 
in  occupying  my  pasture. 

ASANO.  Lord  Kira,  your  steward  is  mis- 
taken. 

KIRA.  That  is  not  possible.  Here  is  his 
letter. 

ASANO.     Do  you  depend  upon  his  truth? 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  29 

KIRA.    I  do. 

ASANO.  And  I  am  to  depend  on  your  de- 
pendence in  an  accusation  of  the  kind?  Well, 
Lord  Kira,  all  my  men,  without  exception, 
have  been  in  attendance  at  my  house  through 
the  night. 

KIRA.    You  will  have  to  prove  that. 

ASANO.    As  you  please. 

KAMEI.  Lord  Kira,  I  have  no  concern  with 
your  private  quarrels  with  Lord  Asano;  it  is 
very  painful  to  me  to  have  to  listen  to  them. 
I  take  it  as  a  gross  breach  of  privilege  that  you 
refer  to  them  at  all  in  your  present  position.  I 
must  ask  you  to  perform  the  duty,  for  which 
I  am  in  attendance;  otherwise  I  must  withdraw, 
to  claim  the  respect  not  yet  offered  to  me. 

KIRA.  As  my  pupil,  you  have  neither  the 
right  to  make  remarks  nor  the  power  to  with- 
draw. Within  this  Court  you  attend  my  in- 
struction, at  my  pleasure,  and  obey  my  will 
at  my  bidding;  that  is  your  province  as  pupil; 


30  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  I 

I,  as  teacher,  will  attend  to  mine.  If  your 
gross  ignorance  and  crass  conceit  mislead  you, 
let  me  set  you  right;  for  I,  here,  Lord  Kamei, 
represent  a  sacred  Envoy,  and  will  brook  no 
babbling  from  a  gray-haired  country  clown. 

HONZO.    For  God's  sake,  stop  him! 

ASANO.    Be  quiet,  Kamei ;  be  quiet. 

KAMEI.    This  man  sat  with  my  lackeys. 

ASANO.  I  know,  I  know,  but  you  are  in  his 
power  if  you  stir. 

KAMEI.  The  dog!  The  dog!  I  have  seen 
him  eat  broken  meats  after  the  feast.  I  will 
not  be  quiet. 

ASANO.  You  shall,  Kamei,  you  shall  not  ruin 
yourself. 

KIEA.    Sagisaka. 

SAGISAKA.    My  lord? 

KIRA.  Request  these  people  to  be  si- 
lent. 

SAGISAKA.    Be  silent,  you,  and  you. 

KAMEI.    What  do  you  bid  me? 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  31 

KIRA  [rapping  with  his  fan].  Be  silent,  please. 
Prepare  yourselves  to  learn  the  ritual. 

Lord  Kamei,  you  are  the  elder  of  my  two 
pupils? 

KAMEI.    Yes. 

KIRA.    Come  forward,  please. 

[KAMEI  advances. 

It  is  with  your  goodwill  that  you  come  to 
learn  this  ceremony? 

KAMEI.  What  do  you  mean  by  that  ques- 
tion? I  am  here. 

KIRA.    Do  you  come  with  your  goodwill? 

ASANO.    Answer,  man,  answer. 

HONZO.  Say,  yes,  master,  or  it  will  be  ruin, 
ruin. 

KIRA.  Will  you  two,  to  whom  I  am  not 
speaking,  keep  farther  back?  Must  I  repeat 
my  question,  Lord  Kamei?  There  is  a  pre- 
scribed form  which  I  have  to  follow.  I  ask  you, 
do  you  come  here  of  your  own  will,  freely? 

ASANO.    Say  yes. 


32  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  1 

KAMEI.  Yes,  I  do. 

KIRA.    Come  nearer  to  me,  Kamei. 

KAMEI.     I  am  here,  Lord  Kira. 

KIRA.  Kneel  down,  kindly.  [KAMEI  kneels.] 
Fasten  my  shoe  for  me. 

KAMEI.  Perhaps  I  do  not  understand  you. 
quite. 

KIRA..  The  clasp  of  my  shoe  is  loose,  I  ask 
you  to  clasp  it. 

KAMEI.    Ask  me? 

KIRA.    I  tell  you.    Fasten  it. 

KAMEI.  You  tell  me  to  fasten  your 
shoe? 

KIRA.    Yes. 

KAMEI.    Then— 

[The  door  at  the  back  opens  with  a  clang. 

SHODA  appears. 

SHODA.  Pardon  my  intrusion  upon  this 
office.  I  had  the  misfortune  to  interrupt  you, 
Lord  Kamei.  The  Envoy  requests  me  to  de- 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  33 

sire  your  immediate  presence,  Lord  Bora,  if 
you  will  be  so  good  as  to  go  to  him. 

KIRA.  Thank  you.  I  break  up  this  Court. 
Come,  Sagisaka.  [KIRA  and  SHODA  go  out. 

SAGISAKA.  Stay,  you,  till  my  lord  returns. 

[Exit. 

HONZO.    Intolerable.    It  was  intolerable. 

KAMEI.    That  is  the  end,  however. 

ASANO.    Kamei,  you  have  been  wonderful. 

KAMEI.    He  went  too  far,  Honzo. 

HONZO.  My  lord,  I  thank  God  you  kept  the 
peace. 

KAMEI.  I  shall  keep  it  no  longer.  Give  me 
that  dirk  you  wear. 

HONZO.  What  are  you  going  to  do,  my 
lord? 

ASANO.  Do  not  give  it,  Honzo.  Kamei, 
you  have  been  right,  up  to  this  very  last.  We 
have  only  to  keep  calm  through  this;  then  we 
can  appeal  to  the  Envoy. 

KAMEI.    What  has  the  Envoy  to  do  with 


34  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  I 

this,  Asano?  This  concerns  my  personal  honour. 
The  upstart  told  me  to  clasp  his  shoe-buckle. 
Give  me  your  dirk,  Honzo.  [Snatches  the  dirk.] 

HONZO.    My  lord,  my  lord. 

ASANO.  No,  no,  Kamei,  no;  you  cannot  claim 
a  precedence.  This  concerns  us  three. 

KAMEI.  You  were  not  told  to  handle  his 
shoes.  You  are  not  an  old  man  who  has  seen 
this  dog  fawning  at  his  lackey's  pantry  for 
scraps  and  gobbets.  You  are  a  young  man, 
with  work,  and  you  are  an  old  man  with  sons. 
I  am  only  an  old  man  with  a  memory  of  what 
was,  and  I  am  going  to  kill  that  man. 

ASANO.  Kamei,  Kamei,  can  you  not  see 
that  a  riot  is  what  Kira  wants?  We  two  are 
his  last  rivals  here.  He  has  contrived  all  this 
to  trap  us;  it  is  death  if  we  lift  a  finger.  If  we 
endure  this  till  the  Envoy  comes,  we  can  ap- 
peal, and  Kira  will  be  degraded.  Give  me  that 
dirk,  for  all  our  sakes. 

KAMEI.    Not  I,  Asano. 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  35 

HONZO.    Lord  Kamei. 

KAMEI  [putting  them  aside].  My  mind  is 
made  up. 

HONZO.  Master  Kamei,  I  have  served  you 
many  years  now.  I  carried  you  when  you 
were  little,  when  I  was  a  lad,  pikeman  to  the 
Emperor.  I  promised  the  old  knight,  your 
father,  that  I  would  mind  you,  and  I  have, 
master,  many's  the  time,  and  your  sweet  lady, 
my  mistress,  and  the  young  knights,  your  sons. 
This  lord  is  right,  Master  Kamei,  it  is  a  trap 
to  bring  you  to  death.  I  saw  it  in  his  look  di- 
rectly he  began.  I  saw  him  smile  when  he 
touched  you.  Lord  Kamei,  it  is  not  only  your 
death  that  would  follow  if  you  struck  him,  but 
the  beggary  of  your  lady  and  her  babes;  and 
this  lord  is  right,  that  you  should  bear  till 
the  Presence  comes. 

KAMEI.    I  will  not  bear. 

HONZO.  Then  it  is  for  me  to  save  you,  Lord 
Kamei;  I  will  kill  Lord  Kira. 


36  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  I 

KAMEI.  Please  keep  from  me.  If  death  is 
the  penalty,  I  am  ready  for  death. 

Lord  Asano,  Honzo;  I  am  grieved  if  I  have 
spoken  rudely  to  you.  I  count  upon  you  not 
to  interfere.  Take  these  trappings,  Honzo,  and 
the  purse.  [Gives  things.]  Honzo,  please  go  to 
the  door,  and  tell  me  if  Lord  Kira  is  coming 
back. 

HONZO  [at  door].  He  is  in  the  corridor,  talk- 
ing to  a  woman. 

KAMEI.    Is  his  guard  there? 

HONZO.    No.    Ah! 

KAMEI.    Is  he  coming? 

HONZO.    Yes. 

KAMEI.    Alone? 

HONZO.    No,  the  girl  too. 

KAMEI.    On  which  side? 

HONZO.    The  right. 

KAMEI.    I'll  stand  here,  then. 

HONZO  [speaking  through].  God  deliver  us. 
God  deliver  us. 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  37 

KAMEI.  Stand  away,  Honzo.  Keep  behind 
me. 

HONZO.  This  is  the  end  of  it  all;  the  end  of 
everything. 

KAMEI.    Be  quiet.    Come,  Kira. 

HONZO.    He's  at  the  door. 

KAMEI.    Hush!    Listen! 

HONZO.    Hark! 

KAMEI.    Quiet,  Honzo. 

ASANO.    What  is  it? 

KAMEI.    He  has  gone  past,  I  think. 

HONZO.    Please  God. 

KAMEI.     Look,  Honzo,  softly. 

HONZO  [at  door].    He  is  there. 

KAMEI.    Where? 

HONZO  [pointing].    There. 

KAMEI.    Just  outside? 

HONZO.    His  hand  upon  the  latch. 

KAMEI.    Then  make  your  peace,  Kira. 

KIRA  [as  he  half  opens  the  door].  That  must 
wait  till  to-night. 


38  THE  FAITHFUL  (Act  I 

A  WOMAN'S  VOICE.    Yes,  but  there  is  an- 
other thing. 

KIRA.    What  can  that  be? 

VOICE.    No,  that  shall  wait  till  to-night,  too. 

KIRA.    No,  you  must  tell  me. 

[Closes  door  again.     The  Voice  laughs. 

KIRA  [off].    You  will  not  escape  like  that. 

KAMEI.    Kiss  your  farewell  to  her. 

HONZO.    They  are  moving  down  the  corridor. 

ASANO.    She  is  singing. 

KAMEI.    Look,  Honzo.    Look. 

HONZO.    They  are  there.    She  is  gone  now. 
He  is  coming. 

KAMEI.    Quickly,  then,  behind  me;  farther 
back. 

ASANO.    Now. 

HONZO.    Here. 

SHODA  enters  behind  them  quietly  and  goes 
to  KAMEI. 

KAMEI  [thinking  that  he  is  HONZO].    Keep 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  39 

away,  Honzo.  Keep  from  me.  I  warn  you. 
[Turning.]  Who  is  this?  Who  are  you?  Ah, 
Lord  Shoda. 

SHODA.  Lord  Kamei,  may  I  have  the 
pleasure  of  waiting  on  you  to  your  robing- 
room? 

KAMEI.    Ah,  have  I  to  robe? 

SHODA.  If  you  will  forgive  the  trouble. 
You,  too,  Lord  Asano. 

ASANO.  We  have  not  yet  been  taught  the 
ritual. 

SHODA.  That  will  be  taught  when  you  are 
robed.  Will  you  come,  then?  These  cere- 
monies are  tedious;  but  the  Envoy  keenly 
looks  forward  to  meeting  you.  This  will  be  the 
way.  Perhaps  this  gentleman  will  wait  [indicat- 
ing HONZO]. 

[He  takes  out  ASANO  and  KAMEI. 

HONZO  [kneeling].  You  gods  who  have 
granted  me  this  moment's  truce,  help  me  to 
save  my  master. 


40  THE  FAITHFUL  (Act  I 

Enter  SAGISAKA.    The  two  eye  each  other. 

SAGISAKA.    Well,  fellow? 

HONZO.    Look. 

SAGISAKA.    What? 

HONZO.    This.    It  is  my  master's  purse. 

SAGISAKA.  I  suppose  money  is  a  rare  sight 
where  you  come  from? 

HONZO  [jingling  money].  Could  you  get  me 
a  moment's  private  talk  with  Lord  Kira,  here, 
now,  this  very  instant? 

SAGISAKA.    For  you?    What  if  I  could? 

HONZO  [jingling].    This  ...  to  begin  with. 

SAGISAKA.    Let  me  see  it. 

HONZO.    When  Lord  Kira  is  here. 

SAGISAKA.    I  want  more  than  that. 

HONZO.  You  shall  have  more,  if  you  will 
bring  him  at  once. 

SAGISAKA.  What  do  you  want  Lord  Kira 
for? 

HONZO.  I  will  tell  him  when  he  comes. 
Only  bring  him. 


Ad  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  41 

SAGISAKA.  I  must  have  something  to  tell 
him. 

HONZO.    Say  I  must  speak  to  him. 

SAGISAKA.  Must?  Must  speak?  Well  .  .  . 
[Going.]  But  if  you  want  him,  like  this;  no 
[stops].  I  have  myself  to  consider.  I  cannot 
fetch  him  till  you  have  made  it  worth  my  while. 

Enter  KIEA 

KIRA.    Fetch  whom? 

HONZO.  Lord  Kira,  will  you  grant  me  the 
favour  of  a  moment's  talk? 

KIRA.    A  moment's  talk? 

SAGISAKA.  He  has  been  troubling  me,  my 
lord,  with  a  great  deal  of  nonsense  about  talking 
to  you.  He  is  foolish. 

HONZO.    It  is  for  Lord  Kamei,  Lord  Kira. 

KIRA.  For  Lord  Kamei?  Lord  Kamei  can 
speak  for  himself. 

HONZO.    I  am  his  treasurer,  Lord  Kira. 

KIRA.    Yes?    What  then? 


42  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  I 

HONZO.  Might  we  be  alone  Lord  Kira,  fop 
a  moment  only? 

KIRA.    Go,  Sagisaka. 

SAGISAKA  [passing  KIRA].  Have  a  care,  my 
lord;  he  may  be  planning  you  a  mischief  for 
what  you  said  to  his  master. 

KIRA.    What?    You  think  that? 

SAGISAKA.  There  is  a  strange  look  in  his 
eyes. 

KIRA.  There  is.  You,  man;  put  down  that 
cloak  you  are  carrying.  What  weapons  have 
you  in  your  sleeves? 

HONZO.    None,  my  lord. 

KIRA.    Feel  him,  Sagisaka. 

SAGISAKA.  There  is  nothing,  my  lord.  What 
have  you  done  with  your  dirk? 

HONZO.    I  lost  it. 

SAGISAKA.  Yes,  where  you  lost  your  wits, 
I  think. 

KIRA.  Leave  us  then,  Sagisaka.  [Exit  SA- 
GISAKA, back.]  Well,  treasurer. 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  43 

HONZO.  Lord  Kira,  where  we  live  we  are 
not  used  to  Court  ceremony,  so  we  sometimes 
offend.  My  master  has  asked  me  to  say  this, 
lest  you  should  be  annoyed  at  our  country  way. 
He,  I  mean  we,  have  put  you  to  a  great  deal  of 
trouble  in  this  matter  of  the  ritual.  If  we  might 
make  some  return,  without  offence,  as  a  sign 
of  how  much  we  feel  it;  if  you  would  not  mis- 
understand. 

KIRA.  I  shall  not  misunderstand  a  kind 
thought. 

HONZO.  We  have  heard  that  you  collect 
jewels,  Lord  Kira. 

KIRA.    I  have  a  few  jewels. 

HONZO.  We  in  the  country  are  sometimes 
able  to  help  in  the  matter  of  jewels,  what  with 
the  mines  and  the  pearl-fishery.  Lord  Kamei 
thought  that  perhaps  you  might  like  to  see  these 
pearls. 

KIRA.    These  are  black  pearls. 

HONZO.    Yes,  your  lordship  might  call  them 


44  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  I 

black.  We  ...  we  ...  we  did  not  like  to 
set  them  ...  as  your  lordship's  taste  is  so 
well  known.  ...  If  you  would  accept  them 
from  Lord  Kamei,  it  would  be  a  pleasure  .  .  . 
as  a  return  for  your  kindness,  Lord  Kira. 

KIRA.  This  is  very  handsome  of  Kamei. 
I  shall  be  very  pleased  to  have  them.  They 
are  very  fine.  There  are  few  things  so  rare. 
I  shall  set  them  .  .  .  how  shall  I  set  them? 

HONZO.  If  your  lordship  cares  for  these 
things,  Lord  Kamei  will  be  pleased  to  show 
you  his  collection. 

KIRA.  That  is  a  pleasure  we  must  arrange. 
Your  name  is  Honzo,  I  think.  I  thank  you, 
Honzo.  But  I  think  your  master  must  be  robed 
and  we  must  proceed.  Will  you  withdraw 
through  that  door,  Honzo,  while  we  go  on?  I 
thank  you.  I  shall  thank  your  master. 
[HONZO  goes  actors'  left.  KAMEI  enters  actors'  right. 

KAMEI.    Now,  Kira. 

KIRA.    No,  Lord  Kamei,  let  me  be  before- 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  45 

hand  with  you.  See.  I  fling  down  my  sword. 
I  kneel  to  you.  Listen.  I  ask  your  pardon  for 
my  rudeness. 

KAMEI.    You  ask  my  pardon? 

KIRA.  Yes,  for  my  gross  insolence;  I  ask  it 
kneeling.  .  .  .  My  dear  lord,  let  me  congratu- 
late you.  You  stood  the  test  superbly. 

KAMEI.    You  explain  yourself. 

KIKA.    You  do  not  know  these  rituals. 

KAMEI.    No.  Nor  wish  to  know  more. 

KIRA.  You  will  perhaps  understand,  when 
I  tell  you  that  the  early  part  of  the  teaching  is 
designed  to  test  the  pupil's  loyalty,  his  rever- 
ence for  an  Envoy's  person,  which  it  is  important 
to  know.  You  were  wonderful.  There  can  be 
few  more  loyal  subjects  than  you.  The  Envoy, 
who  was  listening,  was  most  pleased  with  you. 
And  now  you  must  forgive  me,  and  allow  me  to 
say  how  pained  I  was  to  insult  you  in  that  way. 
Come,  you  must  shake  hands,  and  to-night  you 
must  honour  me,  you  must  be  my  guest. 


46  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  I 

KAMEI.  Well.  Say  no  more.  There  is  my 
hand.  You  certainly  put  me  to  a  test. 

KIRA.  Yes;  it  is  a  test.  Sometimes  in  these 
rituals  men  who  have  not  your  marvellous 
forbearance  are  brought  to  the  brink  of 
murder. 

KAMEI.     Self-control  is  a  great  gift. 

KIRA.  To  tell  the  truth,  the  test  to-day  was 
more  strict  than  usual;  for,  between  ourselves, 
there  has  been  talk  of  disloyalty,  new  ideas, 
irreverence,  in  this  province,  and  the  good 
wheat  is  being  sifted. 

But,  come,  that  unpleasantness  is  over.  The 
ritual  is  simply  this.  Come  with  me  here. 
[Leads  him  actors'  left.]  Your  place  will  be 
here.  You  will  be  told  when  to  come  forward. 
Then  you  will  .  .  .  [Whispers.]  You  under- 
stand? 

KAMEI.    Is  that  all? 

KIRA.  Yes.  I  leave  you  now.  And  let  me 
thank  you  very  warmly  for  your  charming  con- 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  47 

duct  and  willing  pupilage.     [Shakes  his  hand, 
leaves  him  in  prompt  wings  and  returns  to  central 
stage.}    Sagisaka. 
SAGISAKA.    My  lord. 

Enters. 

KIRA.  See  that  Lord  Kamei's  men  are 
treated  with  every  care. 

SAGISAKA.    Yes,  Lord  Kira. 

KIRA.  Has  Lord  Asano's  friend  come,  this 
Kurano? 

SAGISAKA.    No,  my  lord. 

KIRA.    Is  he  in  sight?    Look  and  tell  me. 

SAGISAKA.  There  is  a  horseman  on  the  road, 
riding  fast. 

KIRA.    How  far  is  he? 

SAGISAKA.    Three  minutes;  four  .  .  . 

KIRA.    Is  it  likely  to  be  Kurano? 

SAGISAKA.    It  might  be. 

KIRA.  Kurano  is  the  wise  man  of  the  two; 
he  is  a  man  of  sense? 


48  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  I 

SAGISAKA.  He  is  said  to  have  more  than  his 
master. 

KIBA.  I  can  wait  three  minutes.  Put  these 
pearls  in  the  treasury.  See  that  man  Honzo 
well  cared  for;  specially  well. 

SAGISAKA.    Yes,  my  lord. 

Have  you  as  much  time  to  spare  as  you  think, 
my  lord? 

KIRA.  I  can  wait  two  minutes  more  for 
Kurano. 

SAGISAKA.  That  horseman  does  not  seem 
to  be  coming  here,  my  lord;  he  is  turning  off 
at  the  cross-roads;  he  is  going  towards  the  hills. 

KIRA.    Is  anyone  else  in  sight? 

SAGISAKA.  No.  Very  far  away  there  is  a 
horseman. 

KIRA.    How  far? 

SAGISAKA.  Just  come  in  sight,  my  lord,  and 
walking. 

KIRA.    That  would  be  ten  minutes? 

SAGISAKA.    Quite,  my  lord. 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  49 

KIRA.  I  cannot  wait  so  long.  I  must  go  on. 
Let  the  other  come;  Asano. 

[SAGISAKA  goes  actors'  right  and  opens  door. 
SAGISAKA.    Will  you  come  in? 

ASANO  enters.    SAGISAKA  goes  out  back. 

KIRA.    Your  friend  has  not  come,  Lord  Asano. 

ASANO.  I  am  grieved.  I  fear  his  wife  is 
badly  hurt. 

KIRA.     I  am  sorry. 

ASANO.    I  will  tell  him  of  your  sympathy. 

KIRA.    What  is  that? 

ASANO.    I  will  tell  him  of  your  sympathy. 

KIRA.     Ah,  yes. 

But  I  regret  his  absence  for  another  reason, 
which  has  nothing  to  do  with  an  accident  to  a 
woman. 

ASANO.     Indeed. 

KIRA.  I  presume  that  I  may  count  upon 
his  coming  later? 

ASANO.     I  cannot  answer  for  him. 


50  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  I 

KIRA.  I  presume  that  I  may  count  upon 
someone  coming  on  your  behalf,  if  not  now  at 
least  in  connection  with  your  visit? 

ASANO.  No  one  will  come  on  my  behalf, 
Lord  Kira. 

KIRA.  It  is  a  great  pity  that  Lord  Kurano 
is  not  here;  I  fear  you  do  not  understand  me. 

ASANO.  I  understand  you  perfectly  well, 
Lord  Kira.  You  are  hinting  that  you  would 
like  a  bribe.  I  tell  you  frankly  that  you  hint 
to  the  wrong  man.  I  would  not  make  you  a 
present  if  you  held  my  life  in  your  hand.  Now 
teach  me  the  ritual,  as  you  are  bidden,  and  let 
me  hear  no  more  of  hinting  and  presuming. 
You  pollute  this  place  and  degrade  your  office. 

KIRA.  You  misunderstand,  Lord  Asano;  but 
you  are  right,  we  will  proceed  to  the  ritual. 
Come  with  me  here.  [Leads  him  actors'  right.] 
Your  place  will  be  here.  You  will  be  told 
when  to  come  forward.  Then  you  will  .  .  . 
[Whispers.]  Do  you  understand? 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  51 

ASANO.    From  here? 

KIRA.    Yes. 

ASANO.    It  is  not  easy  to  do. 

KIRA.    Surely. 

ASANO.    Can  I  not  rehearse  it? 

KIRA.  The  ceremony  must  begin.  I  will 
leave  you  here.  [He  remains  alone  on  the  stage; 
goes  slowly  back.]  Sagisaka. 

SAGISAKA  [entering].    My  lord? 

KIRA.  The  hosts  are  instructed  in  their 
duty. 

SAGISAKA.  The  Envoy  is  ready  to  proceed, 
Lord  Kira. 

KIRA.    As  he  pleases. 

Kneels.     SAGISAKA  goes  out,  NOBLES  enter. 

Be  humble  and  prepare  for  the  glory  that  has 
come  among  us. 

The  ENVOY  enters. 

VOICES.  We  give  thanks  for  this  mercy 
vouchsafed. 


52  THE  FAITHFUL  [Ad  I 

THE  ENVOY.  May  peace  be  here;  may  right- 
eousness be  done  here. 

KIRA.  Be  it  again  declared,  that  he  who 
breaks  the  peace  or  does  unrighteousness  within 
these  walls,  dies,  as  an  outlaw,  with  the  greater 
and  lesser  confiscations. 

VOICES.    Be  it  enacted  as  it  is  declared. 

THE  ENVOY.  Who  welcomes  us  in  this  holy 
place? 

KIRA.  Those  whom  the  Presence  has  hon- 
oured, if  it  be  so  willed. 

THE  ENVOY.    It  is  so  willed. 

The  door,  actors'  left,  opens.    KAMEI  appears 
and  performs  his  rite  properly. 

KAMEI.    I  have  the  honour  to  welcome  you. 

THE  ENVOY  [raising  him  to  the  seat  at  his 
right].  We  thank  you  for  this  welcome,  which 
we  well  know  proceeds  from  love. 

Few  things  are  so  pleasant  to  us  as  this  evi- 
dence of  love  for  Him  whom  we  all  serve,  and 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  53 

the  knowledge  that  all  which  you  do  for  our- 
selves, great  though  it  is,  in  the  saving  of  pain 
as  well  as  in  the  warmth  of  welcome,  would  be 
done  in  far  fuller  measure  for  Him,  were  He  to 
be  here. 

Nor  is  it  less  pleasant  to  see  again  old  rites 
and  customs  feelingly  observed,  and  to  remem- 
ber the  beautiful  meaning  hidden  in  them  by 
the  reverence  of  our  fathers,  by  whom  we  live. 
For  what  we  do  here  keeps  alive  what  was 
passionate  in  the  thought  of  our  fathers;  a 
thankful  and  holy  task,  which  none  but  an  im- 
pious man  would  slight  or  bring  to  mockery. 

It  is  so  willed. 

The  door  (right)  opens.  ASANO  enters,  ad- 
vances on  his  knees,  stumbling  in  his  robes, 
and  takes  the  ENVOY'S  hands.  The  NO- 
BLES laugh.] 

THE  ENVOY.    What  is  this  outrage? 

KIEA.    What  has  possessed  you,  Asano? 

THE  ENVOY.    Do  you  do  this  to  insult  me? 


54  THE  FAITHFUL  (Act  I 

ASANO.    Insult  you?    I  do  not  understand. 

KIRA.     This  is  monstrous. 

ASANO.  I  did  as  I  was  bid,  my  lord.  [Look- 
ing round,  he  sees  all  the  NOBLES  tittering.]  You 
planned  this,  Kira,  to  shame  me. 

KIRA.  Do  not  aggravate  your  offence,  Asano. 
Hold  him,  he  will  kill  the  Envoy. 

ASANO.  You  shall  not  live  to  boast  of  it. 
[Draws  dirk  and  strikes  at  KIRA.]  Die,  you. 

NOBLES.    Part  them;  quick,  part  them. 

KAMEI.    God,  he  has  killed  him. 

ASANO.    There,  Kira. 

SAGISAKA.    No. 

ASANO.    Yes,  I  say. 

SAGISAKA.  Let  go.  I  have  you.  Drop  the 
dirk.  Wrest  it  from  him. 

A  VOICE.    You  shall  not. 

A  VOICE.  I  have  it.  No,  Lord  Asano, 
come. 

KIRA.  Oh!  remember,  remember;  this  is  a 
holy  place. 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  55 

KAMEI.    Lord  Kira  is  bleeding. 

KIR  A.  Never  mind  me,  look  to  the  Envoy. 
He  stabbed  at  the  Envoy. 

KAMEI.    Hold  him,  he  is  fainting. 

A  VOICE.  Fetch  water.  He  has  been  stabbed 
to  the  brain. 

KAMEI.    Lean  on  me,  Lord  Kira. 

THE  ENVOY.    Is  he  dead? 

KAMEI.  Blind  with  the  blood,  I  think,  my 
lord.  It  is  a  cut  along  the  brow.  Have  you  a 
cloth?  The  cloth,  there! 

A  VOICE.  This  is  a  terrible  thing,  Lord 
Asano. 

THE  ENVOY.  Little  did  I  think  that  I 
should  live  to  see  new  principles  lead  to  so 
blasphemous  a  sacrilege.  I  suspend  this  Court. 
Let  the  wound  be  dressed.  How  bad  is  the 
wound? 

KAMEI.    A  shallow  cut,  my  lord. 

A  VOICE.  The  knife  must  have  slipped,  or 
it  would  have  killed  him. 


56  THE  FAITHFUL  (Act  I 

THE  ENVOY.  See  to  it,  Shoda.  Where  is 
this  man? 

KIRA.  My  lord,  although  his  aim  was  to 
make  it  seem  that  I  had  not  taught  him  the 
ceremony,  and  afterwards  perhaps  to  kill  me, 
I  make  no  charge  against  him.  He  has  been  at 
law  with  me  and  is  prejudiced  and  passionate; 
I  think  not  really  wicked.  As  far  as  any  injury- 
has  been  done  to  me,  I  ask  for  his  pardon,  my 
lord. 

THE  ENVOY.  That  well  becomes  you,  Lord 
Kira.  I  wish  that  I  could  grant  a  pardon. 
Take  him,  Shoda,  before  the  cut  stiffens. 

[KiRA  is  led  out.] 

This  outlaw,  now.    It  is  Asano,  is  it  not? 

ASANO.    Yes,  lord. 

THE  ENVOY.  Asano,  if  you  are  not  still 
blind  with  passion,  listen  to  me. 

Perhaps  even  now  you  do  not  understand  your 
position. 

ASANO.    I  understand  it. 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  57 

THE  ENVOY.  That  I  am  thankful  for;  be- 
cause you  stand  upon  the  brink  of  ruin. 

I  wish  that,  as  Lord  Kira  asks,  it  were  pos- 
sible to  pardon  you.  But  society  is  held  to- 
gether solely  by  the  chain  of  order,  and  to 
weaken  a  link  of  that  chain  is  to  bring  in  chaos. 
Think  of  what  you  have  done,  and  of  what 
you  have  outraged,  but  do  not  think,  for  a 
moment,  that  your  sin  can  be  lightly  punished. 

ASANO.  The  net  was  set  for  me  and  I  am 
caught.  I  am  too  wise,  my  lord,  to  appeal 
against  the  machine  of  this  world,  against  the 
strong,  unscrupulous  man  and  old  custom.  I 
have  outraged  both.  But  I  should  not  have 
outraged  either  had  not  something  higher  been 
outraged,  something  here  in  me.  Well,  you 
have  me. 

THE  ENVOY.  You  do  not  realise  your  of- 
fence, Asano.  Your  sin  is  that  of  blasphemous, 
sacrilegious  passion,  shedding  blood  upon  con- 
secrated ground.  I  will  consider  your  case. 


58  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  I 

Remove  him.    Bring  him  to  a  sense  of  how  he 
stands.    Stay,  Lord  Kamei. 

[All  go,  save  KAMEI. 

He  is  an  intemperate  man,  I  fear.  Do  you 
know  him? 

KAMEI.    He  is  a  gentle,  quiet  man,  my  lord. 

THE  ENVOY.  He  is  a  free  thinker,  they  tell 
me. 

KAMEI.  I  cannot  answer  for  a  man's 
thoughts,  my  lord. 

THE  ENVOY.  You  can  deplore  what  they 
lead  to,  I  hope. 

KAMEI.  My  lord,  we  are  all  subject  to  pas- 
sion. Kira  so  insulted  me  this  morning,  that 
I  was  on  the  verge  of  killing  him. 

THE  ENVOY.  The  verge  is  the  line  between 
man  and  devil,  and  men  keep  within  it.  Leave 
me.  [KAMEI  goes.  A  pause. 

A  YOUTH  enters. 
THE  YOUTH.    I  beg  pardon,  my  lord. 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  59 

THE  ENVOY.    What  is  it? 

THE  YOUTH.  I  was  to  cense  the  room,  my  lord. 

[A  pause. 

THE  ENVOY.    Boy. 

THE  YOUTH.    Yes,  my  lord. 

THE  ENVOY.    Do  you  believe  in  God? 

THE  YOUTH.  Yes,  sir. 

THE  ENVOY.  Would  you  forgive  a  man  who 
had  broken  the  peace  in  the  house  of  God? 

THE  YOUTH.    Broken  it,  my  lord? 

THE  ENVOY.  Yes,  drawn  a  knife  there  and 
tried  to  kill  a  man. 

THE  YOUTH.  It  would  depend  on  what  the 
other  man  had  done. 

THE  ENVOY.  Say  that  the  other  man  had 
insulted  him  and  made  a  mock  of  him? 

THE  YOUTH.    That's  a  hard  case,  my  lord. 

THE  ENVOY.  Would  you  forgive  him  or 
would  you  put  him  to  death? 

THE  YOUTH.  My  lord,  it's  a  hard  case;  I 
would  forgive  him. 


60  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  1 

THE  ENVOY.    Why? 

THE  YOUTH.  No  man  would  do  a  thing  like 
that  unless  there  was  excuse. 

THE  ENVOY.  So  you  would  forgive  him. 
Freely? 

THE  YOUTH.  As  I  would  hope  to  be  for- 
given myself,  my  lord. 

THE  ENVOY.  Ah!  Will  you  find  Lord  Shoda 
for  me?  He  is  outside  there.  [The  YOUTH  goes. 
Pause.  SHODA  comes]  Shoda,  I  have  con- 
sidered this  case.  Order  the  other  ministrants 
to  leave  the  precincts. 

SHODA.  Very  well,  my  lord.  Shall  I  bring 
the  prisoner  to  you? 

THE  ENVOY.  Not  yet.  See  that  Lord  Kamei 
goes. 

SHODA.     I  will,  my  lord. 

THE  ENVOY.  When  you  go,  please  order 
the  room  here  to  be  laid  with  mattings. 

[Exit  at  actors'  left. 

SHODA.    I  will  give  order,  my  lord. 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  61 

The  YOUTH  enters  to  cense  the  room. 

THE  YOUTH  [censing]. 

One  and  two  and  three 
Sweet  spirits  sweeten  me; 
With  thy  precious  grace 
Be  about  this  place; 
Let  Fate  with  the  dark  star 
Be  ... 

Enter  KURANO  at  back. 

KURANO.    Is  the  Court  broken  up? 

THE  YOUTH.    Sir? 

KURANO.  Is  the  Court  broken  up?  Are 
they  dining? 

THE  YOUTH.  One  went  there,  my  lord,  to 
that  room,  and  the  other  lords  went  there;  but 
I  do  not  know,  my  lord,  I  am  not  one  of  the 
household. 

KURANO.  Ah!  [Enter,  back,  two  men,  with 
white  mattings,  who  cross  to  front  and  prepare 
the  seppuku.]  Where  is  the  Court  now?  Can 


62  THE  FAITHFUL  [Ad  I 

you  tell  me?  [The  men  do  not  answer.}  What 
is  this?  [Enter  KAMEI.]  Ah,  here  is  Kamei. 
Is  the  Court  over? 

KAMEI.  Yes,  it  is.  Your  friend,  Asano,  has 
done  a  mad  thing. 

KUBANO.    What? 

KAMEI.  He  was  mad,  Kurano.  He  per- 
formed the  ceremony  like  a  madman  and  the 
people  laughed.  He  drew  his  dirk  and  struck 
Kira  in  the  face. 

KURANO.  Then  Kira  taught  him  the  wrong 
ritual. 

KAMEI.    That  is  incredible. 

KURANO.  Things  are,  till  they  happen. 
What  is  being  done? 

KAMEI.  I  do  not  know.  I  have  been  ordered 
to  go. 

KURANO.  Is  he  in  arrest?  Of  course  he  is. 
Where  is  Kira? 

KAMEI.    Gone  to  have  the  wound  dressed. 

KURANO.    Which  way,  though? 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  63 

KAMEI.  You  cannot  set  upon  Kira  in  his 
own  house. 

KTJRANO.  He  must  set  this  right.  You  boy, 
where  is  Kira?  I  should  have  been  here  from 
the  first:  my  wife's  unhurt.  I  galloped  to 
catch  you,  but  the  horse  went  lame.  Which 
door,  you,  to  Kira's  rooms?  Lord  Kira's 
rooms? 

THE  YOUTH.  One  of  these  doors,  my  lord. 
I  do  not  know  which. 

KURANO.  Come,  Kamei.  We  must  find 
either  Kira  or  the  Envoy.  Come.  [He  goes  to 
door  at  back,  just  as  it  is  flung  open.  Enter  the 
ENVOY,  SHODA,  ASANO  under  guard,  SAGISAKA, 
and  NOBLES.]  My  lord,  I  beg  for  the  privilege 
of  a  moment's  speech  with  you. 

THE  ENVOY.  I  have  a  painful  duty  here, 
sir,  which  makes  it  impossible. 

ASANO.  I  am  condemned  to  kill  myself, 
Kurano.  I  am  going  to  death,  now,  for  striking 
Kira. 


64  THE  FAITHFUL  (Act  I 

KUKANO.  Good  God!  My  lord,  I  protest 
against  this  sentence. 

THE  ENVOY.    You  protest? 

ASANO.  Kurano,  do  not  ruin  yourself  for 
my  sake. 

A  GUAED.    Come,  sir;  stand  aside. 

ASANO.  I  am  ruined  and  the  estate  con- 
fiscated; that  is  enough.  Let  the  ruin  end  with 
me. 

KUKANO.  My  lord,  I  appeal.  Any  crime  is 
sometimes  justified,  and  I  appeal  now  for  my 
friend.  The  whole  ritual  was  irregular,  he  was 
unattended,  I  was  not  with  him. 

THE  ENVOY.  He  is  condemned  for  sacrilege, 
Kurano. 

KURANO.  My  lord,  I  know.  But  I  know 
this  man.  He  could  not  have  committed  sacri- 
lege. I  say  that  Kira  wilfully  taught  him  the 
wrong  ritual  to  make  him  a  mock;  and  that 
was  the  only  sacrilege  committed  here,  and 
in  striking  Kira  he  punished  it.  I  claim  a 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  65 

reversal  of  your  sentence  and  judgment  on 
Kira. 

THE  ENVOY.  Arrest  this  man.  No,  no, 
loose  him.  Stand  from  him. 

Have  you  any  evidence  to  support  your  state- 
ment against  Lord  Kira? 

KURANO.  None,  my  lord.  Only  my  knowl- 
edge of  my  friend  and  Kira's  hate. 

THE  ENVOY.  Sacrilege  is  a  sin  against  the 
Divine;  the  question  of  human  provocation  does 
not  apply.  I  am  being  very  merciful  to  you, 
Lord  Kurano,  because  I  am  an  old  man  and 
know  the  value  of  life.  Do  not  force  me  to  re- 
member that  I  have  a  peculiar  power. 

I  uphold  the  sacredness  of  my  master,  and 
administer  His  law,  as  an  old  man  soon  to  be 
judged  himself. 

Will  you  be  silent  here,  in  this  place  of  death, 
or  must  I  take  order? 

KURANO.  Nothing  that  I  say,  or  do,  can 
save  my  friend? 


66  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  I 

THE  ENVOY.    Nothing. 

KURANO.  I  have  duties  to  the  living,  then. 
I  will  be  silent,  my  lord. 

ASANO.    May  I  speak  with  him? 

THE  ENVOY.    It  is  not  usual  to  grant  speech. 

KURANO.  It  is  not  an  usual  case,  my 
lord. 

THE  ENVOY.  You  may  speak  for  one  min- 
ute, then. 

ASANO.    Alone? 

THE  ENVOY.    The  minute  has  begun. 

KURANO.    My  dear  man. 

ASANO.  Well,  Kurano,  the  gods  make  pawns 
of  us. 

KURANO.    Kira  taught  you  the  wrong  ritual? 

ASANO.    Yes. 

KURANO.  You  will  not  go  unavenged.  And 
the  confiscation?  Who  takes  the  land? 

ASANO.  It  will  go  to  the  Crown,  I  fear.  I 
pray  Kira  will  not  get  it.  I  have  played  badly 
for  those  who  trusted  to  me. 


Act  I]  THE  FAITHFUL  67 

KURANO.  This  is  the  gambit  only.  What 
can  I  do  for  you  or  say  for  you? 

ASANO.  Nothing;  I  know  you'll  do  every- 
thing. There  is  one  thing 

KURANO.    What? 

ASANO.  That  woman  whom  I  hoped  to 
marry.  No.  She  belongs  to  the  past.  I  can 
think  of  nothing. 

KURANO.  There  is  no  need  where  one 
loves. 

ASANO.  There  are  strange  thoughts  rising 
in  me  about  the  ways  of  the  gods. 

Kurano,  one  thing  .  .  .  about  Kira.  You 
spoke  of  vengeance  .  .  .  before  that  .  .  .  Lis- 
ten. Try  to  stop  the  confiscation. 

THE  ENVOY.    The  minute  is  past. 

ASANO.  Remember,  Kurano,  before  all  that 
.  .  .  appeal  .  .  .  get  the  inheritance  for  my 
brother.  Remember. 

A  GUARD.    Come  this  way,  Lord  Kurano. 

KURANO.    I  will  remember.        [He  is  led  off. 


68  THE  FAITHFUL  (Ad  1 

ASANO.     Sometimes,  in  wintry  springs, 
Frost,  on  a  midnight  breath, 
Comes  to  the  cherry  flowers 
And  blasts  their  prime; 
So  I,  with  all  my  powers 
Unused  on  men  or  things, 
Go  down  the  wind  to  death, 
And  know  no  fruiting-time. 
[He  kneels  on  the  white  mat  and  takes  up  the 
dirk. 

CURTAIN 


ACT  II 


SCENE — The  outer  scene. 

A  VOICE.  Lord  Asano  is  long  at  his  honours. 
Is  that  he? 

A  VOICE.    No,  not  yet. 

VOICES.  No.  Hazama  has  gone  up  the 
road  to  see  if  he  is  coming.  He  must  be  here 
soon. 

FIRST  RONIN.  The  Envoy  may  have  kept 
him. 

A  VOICE.  There.  There  he  comes.  He  is 
coming. 

VOICES.  Welcome  home  from  your  honours, 
Lord  Asano. 

SECOND  RONIN.  It  is  not  he;  not  yet;  but 
he  cannot  be  long. 

FIRST  RONIN.  Very  often  the  Envoy  keeps 
them. 

VOICE.    Whatever  honour  he  wins  they  will 

not  honour  him  so  much  as  we  do. 

71 


72  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  11 

SECOND  RONIN.  He  has  been  GUI  guardian 
and  our  friend. 

A  VOICE.    How  long  it  seems. 

FIRST  RONIN.  Sometimes  the  Envoy  feasts 
them;  in  fact,  usually. 

A  VOICE.    Here  is  Hazama.    He  is  coming. 

VOICES.    Asano,  welcome! 

VOICES.    Where?    Show  me.    I  see  Kurano. 

VOICES.    Welcome! 

Enter  HAZAMA 

Welcome!    Welcome! 
HAZAMA.    No,  no!  no,  no!    Hush! 
VOICES.    Asano! 
HAZAMA.    Quiet! 

VOICES.    Asano.    Welcome!    Welcome! 
HAZAMA.    Hush.    Quiet!    Still! 
VOICES.    Asano.    Asano! 
HAZAMA.    It  is  not  he,  I  tell  you.    It  is  Lord 
Kurano. 
VOICES.    Kurano!    It  is  Kurano.    Welcome. 


Act  II]  THE  FAITHFUL  73 

Kurano.     Kurano!     Carry  him.     We'll  carry 
him  home. 

HAZAMA.    Still,  everybody! 

VOICES.    Here  comes  Kurano,  etc. 

Enter  KUKANO 

HAZAMA.  Here  comes  Lord  Kurano.  Wel- 
come him  home  to  us. 

VOICES.  Kurano.  Welcome  back  to  us, 
Lord  Kurano! 

KURANO.  Stop  this  noise.  Have  this  noise 
stopped,  Hazama. 

VOICES.  Kurano  and  Asano  forever.  Wel- 
come! etc. 

KURANO.  Let  them,  for  God's  sake,  stop. 
Silence,  I  say. 

HAZAMA.    Still,  still!    Still  a  moment! 

VOICES.  Friends  forever.  Our  friends  for- 
ever. Hush.  Quiet. 

KURANO.    Come  round  me  here. 

VOICES.    He  has  something  to  say. 


74  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  II 

THIRD  RONIN.  Would  you  taste  our  wine, 
lord? 

HAZAMA.    Wait  till  he  has  spoken. 

KUBANO.    Kneel  down. 

HAZAMA.    What  is  it,  master? 

KURANO.    Your  master  Asano  is  dead. 

HAZAMA.    For  God's  sake,  master! 

VOICES.  Dead?  In  God's  name!  Our  mas- 
ter? What  killed  him? 

A  VOICE.  What  was  it  he  said?  I  did  not 
hear. 

A  VOICE.    That  our  master  Asano  is  dead. 

FIFTH  RONIN.    O  desolation! 

FIRST  RONIN.  That  death  should  happen 
like  this,  going  to  an  honour! 

HAZAMA.  If  I  might  ask  it,  master,  how  did 
he  come  by  his  end? 

KURANO.    By  a  knife. 

FIRST  RONIN.  By  an  accident,  then,  was 
it? 

KURANO.    No. 


Ad  II]  THE  FAITHFUL  75 

THIRD  RONIN.  Was  no  one  there?  Did  no 
one  see? 

KURANO.   I  saw.  There  were  many  looking  on. 

HAZAMA.     Was  he  murdered? 

KURANO.    My  friends,  he  was  condemned 
to  death.    He  killed  himself. 
ALL.    Oh!    Oh,  God! 

KURANO.  This  is  the  knife.  This,  here. 
This  killed  your  master. 

VOICES.  Look,  if  there  isn't  his  blessed  blood 
on  it.  O  Master  Kurano!  Poor  soul.  Poor 
blessed  saint! 

HAZAMA.  My  master  that  raised  me,  done 
to  death  like  a  thief! 

KURANO.  Done  to  death,  by  Kira.  Goaded 
to  it.  Hounded  to  it  till  it  passed  bounds,  when 
he  struck  Kira  and  was  condemned. 

HAZAMA.    Kira  is  dead,  then? 

KURANO.    No,  alive;  scarcely  hurt. 

HAZAMA.  Then  come,  all  of  us,  we'll  burn 
him  in  his  house. 


76  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  II 

KUKANO.  Wait.  That  could  only  be  death. 
Kira  has  borrowed  guards.  His  house  is  sur- 
rounded by  them. 

HAZAMA.  We  will  wait  till  the  guards  are 
gone. 

KURANO.  You  see  this  paper?  You  hold  an 
Envoy  sacred? 

VOICES.    Yes,  indeed. 

KURANO.  This  is  an  Envoy's  decree.  I  am 
charged  by  the  Envoy  to  read  it  to  you.  I  will 
read  it: 

"Those  are  to  declare  that  anyone  who  en- 
deavours in  any  way  to  avenge  Lord  Asano 
or  to  hinder  the  transfer  of  the  estate  will 
put  himself  without  the  law  and  will  be  pun- 
ished by  instant  death,  with  confiscation  of 
goods." 

You  see,  nothing  but  ruin  can  come  of  any 
protest  or  act;  nothing  but  death;  and  you  are 
married  men,  with  wives  and  children,  or  young 
men  with  parents  to  keep.  If  you  lift  a  finger 


Ad  77]  THE  FAITHFUL  77 

to  avenge  our  friend,  it  can  only  wreck  your- 
selves and  them.  You  must  submit. 

VOICES.  We  had  rather  die.  No,  no!  We 
will  not  submit. 

KUEANO.  I  knew  him  well;  better  than  you. 
He  was  very  dear  to  me.  You  have  your  wives 
and  children  to  think  of.  You  must  remember 
those;  they  have  a  claim  upon  you.  But  to  me, 
he  comes  first. 

A  VOICE.    And  to  us,  master. 

KURANO.  No,  no!  You  must  remember 
what  I  have  read  to  you,  and  the  ruin  of  your 
families. 

VOICES.  We're  ruined  as  it  is.  Kira  shall 
die.  Die,  now.  Lead  us  against  him, 
you. 

We  can  never  be  in  better  state  to  avenge 
him. 

KUBANO.  No,  no!  Wait.  Before  we  deal 
with  Kira  we  must  fulfil  Asano's  dying  wish. 

VOICES.    What  was  that,  master? 


78  THE  FAITHFUL  [Ad  II 

KURANO.  To  save  the  estates  for  the  right- 
ful heir. 

I  can  only  appeal  for  that  if  you  obey  this 
edict.  [Murmurs.]  You  must  obey  it. 

VOICES.    We  will  not. 

KURANO.    It  is  his  last  word  to  me. 

VOICES.    We  must  kill  Kira. 

KURANO.  You  cannot  kill  Kira.  We  may 
stop  his  getting  these  estates,  which  you  may 
be  sure  he  aims  for.  And  there  is  another  thing. 
A  shameful  thing.  [Murmurs.]  Our  master  is 
denied  burial.  [Cries.]  He  is  sentenced  to  a 
criminal's  grave.  If  we  can  stop  the  confisca- 
tion, we  may  remove  that  slur,  too.  Wait  till 
these  appeals  are  judged,  before  you  think  of 
revenge.  But  more  news  comes.  .  .  . 

Enter  FOURTH  RONIN 

VOICES.    Who  is  this?    It's  the  widow's  boy 
from  up  by  the  ford.    What  is  it? 
FOURTH  RONIN.    Lord  Kurano. 


Act  II]  THE  FAITHFUL  79 

KURANO.    Yes.    What? 

FOURTH  RONIN.  Our  Lord  Asano  is  killed 
and  all  our  land  is  to  be  Kira's. 

KURANO.    Yes. 

FOURTH  RONIN.  Kira's  guards  are  moving 
in  from  the  valley-head  already,  to  turn  us  out. 
Hundreds  of  them  are  coming.  Look  there, 
lord,  you  can  see  the  flames.  They  have  burnt 
my  old  mother's  house.  They  have  orders  to 
burn  every  house  and  occupy  the  whole  prov- 
ince. There  are  horsemen  with  them,  herding 
the  stock;  they  are  taking  and  destroying  every- 
thing. 

KURANO.    It  has  begun,  then. 

FOURTH  RONIN.  They  are  going  to  scatter 
us  so  that  we  shall  not  avenge  our  master. 

But  that  is  nothing,  Lord  Kurano.  I  was  in 
a  barn,  among  the  straw,  and  I  heard  the 
troopers  talking.  They  are  coming  for  you, 
they  said,  for  you  are  the  leader. 

KURANO.    Are  they  going  to  kill  me? 


80  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  II 

FOURTH  RONIN.  They  said  they  were  going 
to  make  sure  of  you.  They  will  kill  you  if  you 
show  a  sign  against  them,  Lord  Kurano.  I  have 
run  to  beg  you  to  hide. 

KURANO.  I  will  not  hide.  But  you  see  now, 
you  see  how  little  hope  there  is. 

But  in  the  few  moments  left  to  us,  before  we 
are  scattered,  shall  we  not  make  a  pact  together, 
that  we'll  avenge  our  friend? 

VOICES.    Ay,  we  will.    We  will  indeed. 

KURANO.  Let  me  trap  no  one.  There  will 
be  no  feasting  in  this  fellowship ;  only  a  wander- 
ing in  the  cold,  perhaps  for  months,  and  death 
at  the  end,  according  to  this  decree.  Under- 
stand solemnly  that  the  man  who  puts  hand 
on  mine  marks  himself  for  death. 

VOICES.    We  will  come,  Lord  Kurano. 

VOICES.    We  know  what  the  end  will  be. 

VOICES.  One  has  to  pay  a  price  in  this  world. 
We  are  ready  to  pay  this,  Lord  Kurano. 

KURANO.    Come  about  me. 


Act  II]  THE  FAITHFUL  81 

Here  is  the  relic  of  our  friend.  Let  us  swear 
together,  on  this  relic,  to  avenge  his  death. 

VOICES.    Yes,  master. 

KURANO.  I  speak,  then,  for  each  man  here. 
I  will  avenge  your  death,  Asano,  lord  and  mas- 
ter, on  the  person  of  Kira  Kots'ke,  or  die  in  the 
task,  and  to  this  I  consecrate  my  life.  Will  you 
swear  to  this? 

VOICES.  I  swear.  I  swear.  So  be  it.  I 
swear.  I,  too,  swear.  I  make  oath  to  this. 
I  put  my  hand  to  this.  May  my  name  perish 
if  I  fail  in  this.  I  swear.  I,  too,  swear.  I  vow 
this  solemnly,  Lord  Asano.  I  swear,  etc. 

KURANO.  Now  swear,  too,  that  you  will 
avenge  him  only  as  I  bid  you,  and  when  I  bid 
you. 

HAZAMA.    You  are  our  captain,  Lord  Kurano. 

VOICES.  We  swear  that  we  will  obey  you 
faithfully. 

KURANO.  Then  it  will  not  be,  and  must  not 
be,  till  after  the  suits  are  heard. 


82  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  11 

All  is  done,  then;  but  to  say  good-bye.  We 
have  no  home  here,  henceforth;  we  are  ronin 
and  wanderers. 

Scatter,  now,  through  the  province,  wander 
and  wait;  that  is  all  that  we  can  do;  his  spies 
will  be  on  us. 

Now  comes  the  bad  time  when  you  will  be 
tried,  and  I  have  only  one  word  to  say  to  you: 
Endure.  Endure  all  things,  all  things;  lest  we 
lose  our  revenge. 

HAZAMA.  And  you,  Lord  Kurano,  Kira  will 
want  to  kill  you. 

KURANO.    Yes,  he  will  want  to  kill  me. 

HAZAMA.  Will  you  stay  here,  lord,  when 
his  soldiers  are  coming?  Come  with  us,  master, 
for  safety's  sake. 

KUEANO.    I  have  my  own  part  to  play  here. 

Dismiss,  then.  And  believe  nothing  that 
men  say  of  me. 

But,  I  give  you  no  hope,  remember;  nor  any 
word  but  endure.  Perhaps  some  day  he  will 


Act  II]  THE  FAITHFUL  83 

dismiss  his  guards  .  .  .  and  then  .  .  .  justice 
may  be  done  ...  if  there  is  justice.  Now  go. 
[They  go  out,  leaving  him  alone.  The  GIRL 
remains. 

KURANO.    What  are  you? 

GIRL.    Nobody. 

KURANO.    What  is  your  name? 

GIRL.    Wild  Cherry. 

KURANO.    What  are  you  doing  here? 

GIRL.    I  came  over  for  the  feast. 

KURANO.    There  will  be  no  feast. 

GIRL.    I  hate  Kira. 

KURANO.    It  is  very  wrong  to  hate  people. 

GIRL.  You  don't  see  them  so  close  as 
I  do. 

KURANO.    True. 

GIRL.    I  like  wine. 

KURANO.    There  is  plenty  here.    Drink. 

GIRL.    I  like  you. 

KURANO.    How  old  are  you? 

GIRL.    Old  enough. 


84  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  II 

KURANO.  You  ought  to  be  with  your  lover, 
child. 

GIRL.    Ah!   I've  a  lover,  haven't  I? 

KURANO.    Was  your  lover  killed? 

GIRL.  Yes,  Kira  hanged  him.  I'd  have 
been  married  but  for  that.  Now  I  don't  much 
care. 

This  yellow  wine  is  nice. 

KURANO.    You  good  gods. 

GIRL.  You'll  get  past  that  stage.  Was  it  a 
friend  of  yours  that  was  killed? 

KURANO.    Yes. 

GIRL.    Was  that  through  Kira? 

KURANO.    Yes. 

GIRL.  We  ought  to  be  friends,  we  two.  You 
take  it  too  seriously;  I  did  at  first.  What  is  the 
use  of  sorrowing?  It  won't  bring  him  back. 
Had  your  friend  fair  hair? 

KURANO.    No,  girl;  dark. 

GIRL.  Mine  was  fair.  This  was  some  of  it. 
Of  course,  I'm  the  lowest  of  the  low,  but  I've 


Act  II]  THE  FAITHFUL  85 

always  kept  some  of  it;  then  one  doesn't  feel  so 
low. 

KURANO.    I  shall  kill  Kira. 

GIRL.  I  thought  I  would  at  first;  but  one 
cannot  kill  Kira.  Besides,  what  is  the  use?  It 
won't  make  it  any  better.  Nothing  makes  it 
better,  except  wine.  They  do  charge  us  for 
wine.  You  ought  not  to  complain;  you  have 
all  this  for  nothing. 

KURANO.    Give  me  some. 

GIRL.    I'll  try  some  of  the  red. 

I'm  sorry  about  your  friend.  It  makes  one 
so  savage  and  all  the  time  one  is  helpless.  Here's 
a  lady. 

KURANO.  It  is  my  wife.  Sit  still.  Give  me 
some  wine. 

GIRL.  Now  I  shall  get  beaten  and  then 
they'll  fine  me  especially  if  my  sash  is  torn. 

KURANO.    Hand  me  that  bowl;  thank  you. 

LADY  K.     Kurano. 

KURANO.    What  do  you  want  with  Kurano? 


86  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  II 

LADY  K.    Who  is  this? 

KUKANO.    My  sister. 

LADY  K.    What  has  happened? 

KURANO.    Asano  is  killed. 

LADY  K.  I  felt  that  it  would  end  like  that. 
Thank  God,  it  was  not  you. 

KURANO.  Do  not  thank  God  yet.  Why  did 
you  lie  to  me? 

LADY  K.    When  did  I  lie  to  you? 

KURANO.  This  morning.  You  lied  and  made 
others  lie. 

LADY  K.  This  is  a  strange  language.  I  do 
not  understand.  What  do  you  mean,  Kurano? 

KURANO.  You  sent  word  to  me  this  morning 
that  you  had  fallen  on  the  steps? 

LADY  K.    I  did  fall. 

KURANO.    And  that  you  were  dying. 

LADY  K.  No.  My  message  was  simply 
"Come.  Come  quickly." 

KURANO.  The  messenger  said  that  you  were 
dying. 


Act  II]  THE  FAITHFUL  87 

LADY  K.  I  do  not  know  what  the  mes- 
senger may  have  said. 

KURANO.    You  scared  the  messenger. 

LADY  K.  He  was  concerned  for  me.  Were 
not  you? 

KURANO.    Too  deeply — God! 

LADY  K.  What  is  the  matter,  Kurano? 
Why  do  you  speak  to  me  in  this  way? 

KURANO.  You  were  not  hurt  this  morn- 
ing? 

LADY  K.  I  was  hurt  and  shaken,  and  I  am 
faint  and  sick  still. 

KURANO.    Not  to  that  point. 

LADY  K.  Will  you  not  even  ask  me  how  I 
am? 

KURANO.    No. 

LADY  K.    Oh,  you  are  cruel  to  me. 

KURANO.  Do  you  know  that  if  you  had  not 
recalled  me,  I  should  have  been  with  Asano 
to-day?  And  then  all  this  would  not  have  hap- 
pened, and  he  would  be  alive  now. 


88  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  II 

LADY  K.  That  is  ignoring  Fate.  Who  can 
measure  causes  and  results? 

KURANO.    I  can  measure  that. 

LADY  K.  Your  place  was  beside  your  wife, 
Kurano. 

KURANO.  Only  while  my  wife  is  worthy. 
No,  do  not  weep,  do  not  cry  out;  I  know  you. 
Your  fall  was  a  trick  to  keep  me. 

LADY  K.  Can  you  think,  after  twenty 
years,  that  I  should  stoop  to  trick? 

KURANO.    Yes. 

LADY  K.  Is  it  not  rather  terrible  to  you 
that  a  woman  should  be  forced  to  trick,  after 
twenty  years? 

Listen,  then.  I  did  trick.  I  did  it  to  save 
you.  I  knew  where  Asano  was  dragging  you 
in  his  mad  opposition  to  Kira.  I  knew  that 
he  would  ruin  himself  and  you,  too,  and  that 
to-day  would  decide  it.  So  I  saved  you,  Kurano. 

KURANO.  And  my  friend  lies  down  in  the 
dust. 


Act  II]  THE  FAITHFUL  89 

The  blood  runs  along  the  ground  and  soaks 
in,  and  then  the  brain  cannot  think  and  the 
hand  cannot  do,  and  twenty  years'  work  is  a 
memory.  You  killed  Asano  and  do  not  even 
know  what  he  was. 

LADY  K.  I  loved  Asano.  I  loved  your 
friendship  with  him.  I  know  how  you  have 
worked  together.  I  knew  his  nobleness.  But 
I  knew  that  if  he  were  twenty  times  as  noble 
he  would  still  not  be  worth  your  little  finger. 
You  are  too  generous,  Kurano,  where  you  love, 
and  too  blind. 

KTJBANO.    Asano  is  blind.  [He  rises. 

LADY  K.    What  are  you  going  to  do,  Kurano? 

KTJKANO.    Drink. 

LADY  K.    Will  you  not  take  me  home? 

KURANO.  I  have  no  home.  The  "mad  op- 
position" is  over  now;  Kira  is  master  here. 
Do  you  hear,  you,  who  admired  Kira  so?  Go  and 
make  your  peace  with  him.  I  am  going. 

LADY  K.    Where? 


90  THE  FAITHFUL  [Ad  II 

KURANO.    Where  beaten  men  go. 

LADY  K.    I  am  your  wife,  Kurano. 

KURANO.    You  were. 

LADY  K.  I  am  your  wife;  more  than  that, 
I  am  your  loving  wife.  Dear,  I  am  all  shaken 
and  strange.  Say  a  kind  word  to  me.  You  will, 
I  know  you  will;  you  would  never  do  an  unkind 
thing. 

I  know  that  I  am  nothing  beside  Asano;  but 
now  that  he  is  dead,  I  could  help  a  little.  I 
want  the  world  to  know  how  noble  and  wonder- 
ful my  husband  is. 

KURANO.  Those  are  words;  drink,  and  a 
dirk  in  the  ribs,  are  my  future. 

LADY  K.  Then  I  had  better  go  and  drown 
myself. 

KURANO.    It  would  be  better. 

LADY  K.    Oh! 

KURANO.  I  am  giving  you  good  advice. 
You're  harmless,  as  women  go,  what  is  called 
virtuous,  loving,  wise.  Go  and  drown  yourself. 


Act  II]  THE  FAITHFUL  91 

Kira  is  eoming.  Asano  was  all  that,  yet  it  ended 
in  him  killing  himself.  You  virtuous  are  lost 
in  such  a  world.  Go  drown  or  drink;  then  you'll 
be  spared  things. 

LADY  K.  That  is  not  the  language  we  have 
faced  the  world  with  these  twenty  years.  Dear, 
do  not  drive  me  away  like  this.  Let  us  face  it 
together.  I  do  not  mind  for  myself,  but  you 
are  lost  somewhere  and  I  want  to  be  by  you. 
You  cannot  put  twenty  years'  life  together  so 
lightly  aside.  Think  of  our  children  and  our 
times  together.  Dear,  I  beg  you  not  to  put  me 
away.  I  am  ill,  dear,  and  faint,  and  I  cannot 
bear  this.  We'll  plan  what  we  can  do  against 
Kira.  This  is  so  unfitting,  it  is  breaking  my 
heart. 

KTJRANO.  Drink  this,  then,  and  forget  it ;  drink. 

LADY  K.  It  is  not  a  little  thing  that  you  are 
putting  away,  Kurano. 

KURANO.  I  am  thirsty,  and  I  am  weary  of 
you;  besides,  this  is  my  sister. 


92  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  H 

LADY  K.    I  will  not  interrupt  you,  Kurano. 

[Exit. 

GIRL.    Was  that  really  your  wife? 

KURANO.    Yes,  poor  soul. 

GIRL.  You  oughtn't  to  have  driven  her 
away,  like  that. 

KURANO.  Why,  the  thing  has  come  to  an 
end. 

GIRL.  Still,  she  hadn't  hurt  your  friend,  had 
she? 

KURANO.    She?    No. 

It  is  twenty-one  years,  to  a  day,  that  we  first 
joined  hands.  [He  covers  his  face.]  Now  I  shall 
not  see  her  again. 

Stand  up  there,  you,  and  tell  me  what  you 
see? 

GIRL.    Nothing  but  the  fields. 

KURANO.  Look  along  the  road,  towards 
Kira's  country. 

GIRL.  Yes,  there  is  something  burning.  It  is 
moving. 


Act  II]  THE  FAITHFUL  93 

KURANO.  Those  are  torches.  I  thought  he 
would  be  coming  soon.  It  is  Kira  coming  to  take 
possession  here. 

GIRL.     Is  that  beast  coming  here? 

KURANO.    Yes.    Give  me  some  more  wine. 

GIRL.     I'm  afraid. 

KURANO.  Drink.  It  is  not  so  bad,  this  life 
of  ours,  while  one  has  this.  Can  you  dance? 

GIRL.     Not  if  Kira  is  coming  here. 

KURANO.  I  can  dance.  I've  a  good  mind  to 
try.  I  can  dance  stately  dances  and  gay  dances; 
and  I  can  sing. 

GIRL.    Don't  you  anger  Kira. 

KURANO.  I  tell  you  I  can  sing.  I'm  going 
to  sing. 

GIRL.  Don't,  I  say,  don't.  You  don't  know 
Kira.  He  is  terrible.  You  take  me  away 
somewhere.  It  will  be  death  if  you  stay  here 
talking  all  this  folly. 

KURANO.  Why  do  you  make  that  noise 
when  I  say  I'm  going  to  sing?  You  have  never 


94  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  II 

heard  me  sing.  The  roses  turn  to  me,  when  I 
sing.  The  birds  in  the  air  turn.  There  was 
a  song  I  made  when  my  friend  came  home;  that 
was  the  friend  who  was  killed.  But  I  won't 
sing  that,  that  was  too  sad;  I  want  a  merry 
song;  for  what  is  the  use  of  being  sad?  Come 
you  and  sing. 

GIRL.    You  are  mad. 

KUBANO.    Listen  to  me,  now.     Is  not  this 
well  sung? 

Fate  with  her  changing  tune 

Keeps  her  appointed  time, 

Her  ever  breaking  thread, 

For  ever  spinning. 

We,  who  are  singing,  soon 

Will  cease  to  rhyme, 

Our  moment  will  be  sped.  .  .  . 
What  comes  next?    Hark!    Did  you  hear  foot- 
steps? 

GIRL.    It's  the  torches.     Don't  let   them 
catch  me  here. 


Act  II]  THE  FAITHFUL  95 

KURANO.    Sit  still  and  drink.     Come  here 
to  me. 

GIRL.    No,  I'm  going,  I'll  not  stay.     You 
don't  know  what  soldiers  are. 

KURANO.    You  are  my  dear  and  my  delight 
and  now  we  will  sing  together. 

Yellow  wine  in  a  silver  bowl 
Is  true  contentment  to  the  soul. 
A  dancing  girl  with  brilliant  eyes 
Is  true  contentment  to  the  wise. 
O  friends,  rejoice,  for  man  is  meant. 

Enter  KIRA'S  guards  with  SAGISAKA 

SAGISAKA.    This  is  the  man  we  have  come 
to  see. 

KURANO.    Who  are  you  and  what  do  you 
want?    Let  me  finish  my  song. 

To,  what  is  it,  man  is  meant? 
To  dance  and  sing  and  be  content. 
This  is  my  sister.    You  haven't  told  me  yet 
who  you  are. 


96  THE  FAITHFUL  [Ad  II 

SAGISAKA.  Pay  attention  to  all  he  says, 
Captain.  You  know  me  well  enough. 

KURANO.     I  do.    You  are  Lord  Kira's  wife. 

SAGISAKA.    I 

KURANO.    Are  not  you? 

SAGISAKA.    No,  I  am  not. 

KURANO.  I  get  puzzled,  seeing  you  so  much 
together.  This  is  very  excellent  wine. 

SAGISAKA.  I  did  not  come  to  drink,  Lord 
Kurano. 

KURANO.  It's  the  most  innocent  of  the 
vices. 

THE  CAPTAIN  OF  THE  GUARDS.  Is  this  the 
man? 

SAGISAKA.    Yes. 

CAPTAIN.    He  seems  a  drunken  fellow. 

SAGISAKA.  He  is  less  drunken  than  he 
seems. 

CAPTAIN.  I  am  not  sure.  Come  and  drink, 
come  and  drink,  my  friend.  There  is  nothing 
like  drink. 


Act  II]  THE  FAITHFUL  97 

KURANO.  You're  a  reasonable  being.  It  is 
the  one  friend.  Here's  one  for  you. 

Is  that  your  friend? 

CAPTAIN.    Yes. 

KURANO.    He  is  an  ugly  one. 

CAPTAIN.  He  was  kicked  in  the  face  by  a 
mule  when  he  was  young. 

KURANO.     Do  not  make  fun  of  me. 

CAPTAIN.    It  is  the  truth;  isn't  it? 

SAGISAKA.    But  now  I  do  the  kicking. 

KURANO.     I  don't  like  you. 

SAGISAKA.  That's  unfortunate,  for  you'll 
perhaps  see  a  good  deal  of  me  in  the  near 
future. 

KURANO.    Shall  we  drink  together? 

SAGISAKA.    No. 

KURANO.  Then  if  you  won't  drink  you're  a 
dog  and  an  unbelieving  dog  and  the  mule- 
shewed  sense.  What  do  you  come  here  for, 
if  not  to  drink? 

CAPTAIN.    Humour  a  drunkard. 


98  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  II 

SAGISAKA.  I  come  to  take  over  these  estates, 
which  are  forfeited  by  that  friend  of  yours. 

KURANO.  Is  your  friend  Kira  going  to  have 
them? 

SAGISAKA.    Yes. 

KURANO.  Is  Kira  in  want  of  a  man,  for  I 
shall  be  out  of  employment. 

SAGISAKA.  Kira  does  not  employ  drunk- 
ards. 

KURANO.    Who  says  I  am  a  drunkard? 

CAPTAIN.  Never  mind  what  my  friend  says. 
He  does  not  know  you. 

KURANO.  Do  you  dare  to  call  me  a  drunk- 
ard? 

SAGISAKA.  I'll  dare  more  than  that,  when 
this  first  month  is  over. 

CAPTAIN.    He  calls  you  a  gentleman. 

KURANO.    So  I  am  a  gentleman. 

CAPTAIN.    We  are  all  gentlemen. 

KURANO.  Don't  let  him  call  me  a  drunkard 
then. 


Act  II]  THE  FAITHFUL  99 

CAPTAIN.  Come,  we  are  all  friends;  and 
this  is  your  sister.  Is  your  name  Cherry? 

KURANO.     Her  name's  my  sister 

CAPTAIN.    I  had  a  sister  like  her  once. 

KURANO.  Then  you  had  more  than  you 
deserve. 

CAPTAIN.  I  had.  She  cost  me  six  months' 
pay. 

KURANO.  I  like  you.  We  shall  be  friends. 
Shall  we  make  him  drunk? 

CAPTAIN.    No,  it  would  kill  him. 

KURANO.    Never  mind. 

CAPTAIN.    It  would  be  difficult. 

KURANO.  No.  We  would  throw  him  down 
and  pour  the  wine  down  his  throat.  Shall  we? 

CAPTAIN.    Yes.    Yes. 

KURANO.    You  take  his  heels. 

GIRL.    Yes. 

KURANO.    We  will. 

CAPTAIN.    Yes,  but  wait  a  moment. 

KURANO.    No,  not  wait. 


100  THE  FAITHFUL  (Act  II 

CAPTAIN.    Yes ;  first  let  us  all  three  be  drunk. 

KURANO.     Roaring  drunk? 

CAPTAIN.    Roaring  and  raging  drunk. 

KURANO.    All  be  drunk. 

I'll  be  drunk.  You'll  be  drunk.  She'll  be 
drunk.  We'll  be  drunk,  you'll  be  drunk,  he'll 
be  drunk.  We'll  all  be  drunk.  Let  us  see  who'll 
be  drunk  first.  Here's  yours,  here's  yours.  I 
don't  want  to  be  drunk,  I  want  to  dance.  Kira 
is  coming  here,  so  we  shall  be  friends,  you  and 
I  will  be  friends. 

You  think  I've  been  against  Kira;  I'm  his 
best  friend  and  your  best  friend,  so  let  us  dance. 

SAGISAKA.    You  shall  dance  to-morrow. 

KURANO.  I  want  to  dance  now.  My  sister 
will  dance  with  me. 

GIRL.  Oh,  loose  me,  do!  I'll  get  fined  ever  so 
if  the  stuff  is  rumpled. 

KURANO.  I  tell  you,  we  will  dance.  Come 
here.  We  will  move  those  mats  to  one  side. 
Are  you  coming  to  dance? 


Act  II]  THE  FAITHFUL  101 

CAPTAIN.  Yes;  dance,  yes,  as  soon  as  ever 
you  have  moved  the  mats. 

KURANO.  I  like  you.  Are  you  a  good 
dancer? 

CAPTAIN.    Not  so  good  as  you. 

KURANO.     I  am  a  good  dancer,  am  not  I? 

CAPTAIN.  Excellent.  Let  me  see  you  dance 
the  sword  dance. 

KURANO.  Shall  we  pour  the  wine  on  our 
heads  first? 

CAPTAIN.    No,  afterwards,  when  we  are  hot. 

KURANO.    But  we  will? 

CAPTAIN.    Yes.    Oh  yes. 

KURANO.  Yes,  we  will  pour  the  wine  on 
our  heads.  We  are  going  to  pour  the  wine  on 
our  heads. 

SAGISAKA.    I  would. 

KURANO  [to  GIRL].  I'll  pour  it  on  yours  and 
then  we'll  dance.  Sometimes  I  am  sad,  for  all 
my  merrymaking.  It  is  not  such  an  easy  world. 
There  is  a  fellow,  Death,  who  is  a  danger,  if 


102  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  II 

one  could  find  him.  I  had  a  friend  once;  my 
head  is  all  in  a  whirl;  a  very  dear  friend;  I 
could  weep  when  I  think  what  happened  to 
him.  It  was  Death  who  took  him  away.  I 
would  like  to  go  to  look  for  Death. 

CAPTAIN.    Your  sister  will  bring  you  to  him. 

KURANO.  Yes,  so  they  say;  all  have  told  me 
that. 

I  will  go  look  for  Death,  for  Death  is  every- 
where, 

Putting  his  hands  on  friends  and  dulling 
women's  hair. 

Death  took  away  my  friend ;  and  I  have  prayed 
for  years, 

But  Death  has  paid  no  heed.  Death  does  not 
yield  to  tears. 

CAPTAIN.    Death  is  like  that. 
You  should  drink  again. 
KURANO.    There  is  no  wine  strong  enough. 
But  we  will  find  him,  some  day. 


Act  II]  THE  FAITHFUL  103 

SAGISAKA.  He  may  be  nearer  than  you 
think. 

KURANO.  You  look  like  a  friend  of  his.  I 
have  known  wise,  beautiful  people;  but  Death 
did  not  care.  [To  GIRL.]  We  will  go  away,  we 
two;  I  do  not  like  these  people;  they  think  only 
of  themselves.  We,  who  have  lost  friends,  are 
in  another  world. 

We  know  how  many  miles  the  soul  can  tread, 
We  who  go  seeking  signs  from  dear  companions 
dead. 

Come,  girl,  we'll  go.  Poor  child,  you  are  cold. 
We'll  knock  at  the  doors  for  shelter.  [Exit. 

CAPTAIN.  There  is  no  doubt  about  him,  poor 
fellow. 

SAGISAKA.    I  am  not  so  sure. 

CAPTAIN.    He  is  both  drunk  and  mad. 

SAGISAKA.    I  would  like  to  see  him  sober. 

CAPTAIN.  I  was  sorry  for  him.  This  death 
of  his  friend  has  turned  his  brain. 


104  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  II 

SAGISAKA.  It  had  better  remain  turned. 
Did  you  feel  that  he  was  drunk? 

CAPTAIN.    Yes. 

SAGISAKA.    And  mad,  you  said? 

CAPTAIN.    Yes,  both. 

SAGISAKA.  He  is  an  object  of  pity,  a  martyr. 
He  is  dangerous,  so. 

CAPTAIN.  He  could  be  shut  up,  if  he  should 
become  that. 

SAGISAKA.  That  would  make  him  still  more 
a  martyr. 

CAPTAIN.    What  is  he  doing,  now?    I  cannot 

QOO 

DUV« 

SAGISAKA.  He'll  come  back.    Captain. 

CAPTAIN.  Yes? 

SAGISAKA.  I  believe  he  is  pretending. 

CAPTAIN.  He  pretends  unusually  well,  then. 

SAGISAKA.  Captain,  can  you  take  a  hint? 

CAPTAIN.  Yes. 

SAGISAKA.  He  would  be  better  out  of  the 
way. 


Act  II]  THE  FAITHFUL  105 

CAPTAIN.  I've  no  orders  about  that;  that 
is  life  and  death. 

SAGISAKA.     Kira  would  be  grateful. 

CAPTAIN.     I've  no  means  of  knowing  that. 

SAGISAKA.    I  will  answer  for  so  much. 

CAPTAIN.    Do  you  order  me  to  kill  him? 

SAGISAKA.  Come,  these  are  harsh  words, 
Captain;  "order"  and  "kill." 

CAPTAIN.    It's  a  harsh  subject. 

SAGISAKA.  Supposing  he  were  to  talk  in  his 
cups,  excitedly,  provocatively.  ...  Or  rave 
against  us  ...  inciting  to  riot.  .  .  . 

CAPTAIN.  Well,  what  then?  I  could  only 
arrest  him  for  ...  being  drunk  ...  or  out 
of  his  mind. 

SAGISAKA.  Of  course.  .  .  .  What  more 
could  you  do?  You  would  arrest  him. 

CAPTAIN.    That  would  not  help  you. 

SAGISAKA.  Supposing  he  were  to  resist  ar- 
rest, to  struggle  with  you,  or  to  try  to  get  away? 

CAPTAIN.    The  guard  would  bind  him. 


106  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  11 

SAGISAKA.  If  he  were  violent.  One  of  them 
might  ...  in  self-defence? 

CAPTAIN.    I  see  what  you  mean. 

SAGISAKA.    Kira  would  not  forget  it. 

CAPTAIN.    You  want  him  killed? 

SAGISAKA.    It  would  be  easier  with  him  away. 

CAPTAIN.    I  see. 

SAGISAKA.  Kira  is  thinking  of  putting  you 
in  command  here. 

CAPTAIN.    Ah! 

SAGISAKA.  Can  I  trust  you  to  carry  out 
Kira's  wishes? 

CAPTAIN.  The  man  is  only  a  madman.  He 
is  harmless. 

SAGISAKA.  Madmen  are  not  harmless,  and 
I  do  not  believe  that  he  is  mad. 

CAPTAIN.    Drunken,  then. 

SAGISAKA.  He  is  neither  one  nor  the  other. 
He  is  pretending. 

CAPTAIN.  If  he  is  pretending,  I  will  see  to 
him. 


Act  II]  THE  FAITHFUL  107 

SAGISAKA.    You  promise? 

CAPTAIN.  Yes,  but  that  is  not  pretence. 
Watch  him  there  as  he  comes. 

SAGISAKA.    I  shall  watch  him  very  narrowly. 

CAPTAIN.    What  is  he  saying? 

SAGISAKA.  Some  folly.  If  I  lift  my  hand 
like  this,  it  will  be  a  sign;  and  then  you  will  kill 
him. 

CAPTAIN.  If  he  is  pretending,  yes;  right; 
but  this  poor  fellow  is  not  pretending. 

Enter  KURANO  with  GIRL 

KURANO.  This  is  she.  This  is  she  who  makes 
us  mad.  Look  at  her,  she  has  driven  me  mad; 
it  is  in  her  eyes.  It  is  bad  when  we  are  young, 
for  then  they  smile,  and  we  tear  at  the  world's 
throat,  and  throw  ourselves  away,  and  all  they 
want  is  vanity.  If  mirrors  could  speak,  men 
would  never  be  troubled  by  them.  Look  at  her. 
All  this  beautiful  bait  to  catch  the  little  foolish 
fish  in  man. 


108  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  11 

It  is  beautiful,  those  eyes  and  the  mouth, 
and  all  the  curves,  and  the  ears  and  the  pretty 
teeth.  Men  have  thought  of  these  things  going 
to  death;  thought  of  them  with  prayers.  [To 
CAPTAIN.]  Look  at  her.  Is  not  she  a  beautiful 
thing?  You've  prayed  to  this  in  your  time. 

CAPTAIN.    Ay,  in  my  time. 

KURANO.    And  you? 

SAGISAKA.  Kurano,  leave  off  pretending  that 
you  are  mad  and  listen  to  what  I  have  to  say  to 
you. 

KURANO.    Do  you  believe  in  the  gods? 

SAGISAKA.    I  am  not  deceived,  Kurano. 

KURANO.  If  you  believe  in  the  gods  you 
should  be  thankful. 

SAGISAKA.    Give  heed,  Captain.    Why? 

KURANO.  Because  your  mother  played  false 
with  a  millstone. 

CAPTAIN.    What  makes  you  think  that? 

KURANO.  It  may  have  been  flints ;  but  it  was 
something  hard;  and  so  you  were  spared  feelings. 


Act  II]  THE  FAITHFUL  109 

You  were  never  driven  mad  by  one  of  these 
things.  You  never  will  be;  this  does  not  stir 
you.  Be  glad ;  they  are  fatal  things.  When  we 
grow  up  they  twine  round  us  and  fawn  and  purr 
and  clog  us  to  a  standstill.  They  call  them- 
selves our  mates.  0  heaven!  that  a  thing  so 
empty  should  have  such  power  upon  men.  Do 
you  see  this  head,  how  beautiful  it  is?  Is  not  it 
wonderful,  poised  on  the  throat  like  that?  Look 
how  the  flesh  dimples,  and  then  these  shadows, 
and  the  red  lips  that  the  worm  will  eat,  and 
these  eyes  that  glitter  so  and  tell  her  brain 
about  us.  Did  you  ever  cut  open  such  a  head? 

SAGISAKA.    No ;  did  you? 

KURANO.  With  my  mind.  There  was  noth- 
ing there.  I  was  puzzled  at  that. 

SAGISAKA.    Captain. 

CAPTAIN.  Do  you  know  where  you  are, 
Kurano? 

KURANO.  Yes.  At  a  very  interesting  point. 
I  was  saying  that  I  was  puzzled.  Then  I  saw 


110  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  II 

that  these  things  are  parasites,  who  suck  their 
lives  from  ours.  Our  life  gives  them  life.  Our 
imaginations  give  them  a  mind,  they  have  none 
of  themselves.  There  is  nothing  in  them.  They 
are  only  shells  and  coffins  where  we  bury  our 
best  thoughts.  They  turn  them  to  dust  and 
give  back  nothing.  Why  should  we  deceive 
ourselves  about  them?  Can  you  tell  me 
why? 

CAPTAIN.  It  would  take  a  wiser  man  than 
me  to  answer  that. 

KUBANO.  Yet  you  and  that  fellow  there  rule 
the  world. 

SAGISAKA.  We  will  not  wait  for  any  more, 
Captain;  this  is  not  madness. 

CAPTAIN.    It  is  an  odd  kind  of  talk. 

SAGISAKA.  Kill  him  when  he  comes  back  to 
us.  I  will  keep  his  attention. 

CAPTAIN.  It  is  not  like  mad  to  me,  it  is 
more  like  one  of  these  frenzies. 

SAGISAKA.    Well,  end  it.    Kill  him. 


Act  II]  THE  FAITHFUL  111 

CAPTAIN.  I  have  half  a  mind.  Kurano;  do 
you  see  the  house  on  fire? 

KURANO.  Do  not.  Do  not.  You  are  always 
interrupting.  I  am  going  to  sing  to  you. 

Once,  very  long  ago, 

When  there  was  still  the  sun, 

Before  these  times,  before 

The  light  was  darkened, 

One  whom  we  used  to  know 

Made  life  most  noble;  one 

Who  would  have  changed  the  world 

Had  people  hearkened. 

It  was  a  dream.    Perhaps 

Time  drugs  the  soul  with  dreams 

To  all  but  blind  desire 

For  high  attempt; 

Then  the  intense  string  snaps; 

The  project  seems 

A  hearth  without  a  fire; 

A  madness  dreamt. 


112  THE  FAITHFUL  (Act  II 

SAGISAKA.  I  think  that  decides  it.  Now, 
Captain. 

KURANO  [to  SAGISAKA].  What  can  it  de- 
cide? Do  you  think  I  blame  you?  You  are 
stupid,  you  are  vulgar,  you  play  into  life's 
hands.  It  is  life  that  I  blame,  life  is  the  enemy- 
life,  who  takes  my  friend  and  leaves  you,  the 
usurer,  and  you,  the  bully,  and  you,  the  doll. 
Come  on,  then,  for  I  will  fight  with  life  till  I 
drag  him  from  behind  his  veil.  He  is  behind 
you  and  behind  you  and  behind  you  and  I  will 
have  him  from  his  hiding-place.  No,  you  shall 
not  escape.  I  will  have  you.  Out  of  my  way. 
And  you,  the  doll,  the  clog,  to  be  left  when  my 
friend  is  taken.  .  .  [He  beats  them  with  a  cloak.] 
No.  No.  Forgive  me.  I  am  not  settled  in 
my  wits.  You  had  better  give  me  wine.  For 
I'm  going  to  law,  and  must  have  my  wits  about 
me.  Wine  will  steady  me.  I  fill  to  you  and  to 
you  and  to  you,  and  then  I  fill  to  myself.  Then 
we  will  drink  and  fall  asleep. 


Act  II]  THE  FAITHFUL  113 

CAPTAIN.    There  can  be  no  mistaking  that. 
SAGISAKA.    I  was  wrong.    He  is  mad. 
CAPTAIN.    A  raving  madman. 
KURANO  [to  GIRL].    We'll  drink  and  sing: 
Wine  is  a  strong  drink 
Beauty  is  a  stronger 
Grief  makes  a  man  think 

And  makes  the  day  longer. 
So  give  a  man  beauty,  and  give  a  man  wine, 
And  drink  to  your  true  love  while  I  drink  to 

mine. 

[Falls  asleep  on  the  ground,  spilling  the  bowl. 
SAGISAKA  [kicking  him].    So  much  for  Lord 
Kurano. 

CAPTAIN.    It  is  a  pity.    There  was  something 
in  some  of  what  he  said.    He  has  been  a  fine 
man ;  a  soldier  they  said? 
SAGISAKA.     Yes. 

CAPTAIN.  We  come  to  strange  ruins.  Per- 
haps he  would  be  happier  if  I  were  to  end  him. 
Let  sleepers  be;  sleep  is  better  than  nothing. 


114  THE  FAITHFUL  [Ad  II 

Enter  KIRA  with  HARIMA 

KIRA.    What  news  of  Kurano? 

SAGISAKA.    There. 

HARIMA.     Drunk? 

SAGISAKA.  Drunk  and  raving.  His  brain 
is  turned. 

KIRA.  Turned?  Are  you  sure  he  is  not  pre- 
tending? 

CAPTAIN.    He  is  not  pretending,  Lord  Kira. 

SAGISAKA.  I  suspected  him,  but  this  last  has 
convinced  me. 

KIRA.    It  falls  out  luckily. 

SAGISAKA.  I  was  not  sure  .  .  .  whether  to 
kill  him  in  any  case. 

KIRA.     No,  no,  no ;  nothing  of  the  sort. 

SAGISAKA.  He  said  something  of  going  to 
law. 

KIRA.  Well,  we  must  humour  him.  All  else 
goes  well? 

SAGISAKA.  All  the  men  of  the  estate  have 
scattered;  this  blow  has  destroyed  them. 


Act  II]  THE  FAITHFUL  115 

KIKA.    A  higher  power  has  been  in  this.    It 
is  a  mercy  from  above. 
HARIMA.    True. 

KIRA.  Come,  we  will  celebrate  this  happy 
day  fittingly;  meanwhile  let  us  give  thanks  at 
the  temple. 

[Exeunt  KIRA,  SAGISAKA,  CAPTAIN. 

HARIMA  [lingering].    Sot  and  coward!   Beast. 

You  called  yourself  Asano's  friend.    Pah,  you 

drunkard.    May  your  own  friends  let  you  die  so. 

[Kicks  him  and  exit.    A  moment  passes;  a 

distant  bell  strikes. 

KURANO  [rises].  So  there  is  mercy  for  the 
madman,  none  for  the  wise  man,  it  seems.  Now, 
you  blind  wolves,  you  shall  see  whether  I  have 
forgotten.  Thus!  thus! 

[He  tears  his  robes  across. 

CURTAIN 


ACT  III 


SCENE  I — The  outer  scene.    THE  HERALD.    KURANO  in 
the  background. 

THE  HERALD. 

Comrades,  imagine  that  a  year  has  passed. 
Asano's  men  have  not  avenged  their  lord. 
They  have  been  wanderers,  houseless  to  the 

blast, 
Keeping    most    bravely    to    their    plighted 

word, 

Biding  revenge,  until  the  Courts  declare 
Whether  Asano's  brother  may  be  heir. 

To-day  the  Judge  has  uttered  his  decree 
That  Lord  Asano's  castle  fief  and  lands 

Are  forfeit  to  the  Envoy  and  shall  be 
Given  forever  into  Kira's  hands; 

For  Kira's  plans  have  thrived.    The  Court  in- 
tends 

To  crown  him  Duke  before  to-morrow  ends. 

119 


120  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  HI 

This  news  so  fills  the  Ronin  with  despair 
That  seventy  men  desert  Kurano's  band, 

Making  all  hope  of  vengeance  empty  air; 
Since  the  remainder  cannot  hope  to  stand 

Against  the  thousand  guards  in  Kira's  pay, 

Kurano's  planned  revenge  is  swept  away. 

Here  in  the  snow,  alone  with  cruel  thought, 
He  thinks  of  his  dear  comrade  tricked  to  death, 

Kira  in  pride  and  vengeance  brought  to  naught, 
And  justice  by  decree  made  empty  breath. 

Friendship  and  justice,  hate  and  vengeance  fail; 

Nothing  remains,  but  love  that  cannot  quail. 

His  son  is  coming,  bringing  bitter  news; 
Life  has  no  pity  on  the  men  who  lose. 

[Exit  HERALD. 

Enter  CHIKARA 

KURANO.  Chikara,  is  that  you?  Come,  boy, 
I  have  news  to  tell  you.  We  have  lost  the  suit 
of  the  inheritance. 


Act  III]  THE  FAITHFUL  121 

CHIKARA.  I  expected  that,  father.  Kira  is 
the  law  here  now. 

KURANO.  Yes,  he  is.  ...  But  you  are 
shaking;  what  makes  you  so  white,  boy? 

CHIKARA..  Nothing,  father.  Have  you  had 
good  sales  to-day,  father? 

KURANO.    No,  boy;  none  yet. 

CHIKARA.  Are  you  selling  toys  to-day, 
father? 

KURANO.  Not  toys,  dear  lad;  toys  are  luxu- 
ries. I  sell  vanities;  they  are  necessaries.  But 
you  tremble  like  a  leaf.  .  .  .  What  is  it? 

CHIKARA.    It  must  be  the  cold,  father. 

KURANO.  You  must  have  my  old  cloak, 
Chikara. 

CHIKARA.    Then  you'll  be  cold. 

KURANO.  No,  I  am  too  hot.  I  have  been 
excited.  Let  me  put  it  well  round  you. 

CHIKARA.  Thank  you,  father.  What  has 
made  you  excited? 

KURANO.    Thoughts. 


122  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  III 

CHIKARA.  Were  you  thinking  what  night 
it  is,  father? 

KURANO.    No,  boy.    What  night  is  it? 

CHIKARA.  It  is  a  year  to-night  since  we  left 
home.  The  men  are  meeting  to-night.  They 
mean  to  keep  the  year.  Will  you  go,  father? 

KURANO.    No,  boy,  I  do  not  think  to  go. 

CHIKARA.    How  strangely  you  answer,  father. 

KURANO.  Do  I?  Well  .  .  .  my  thoughts 
are  strange. 

CHIKARA.     Father,  may  I  say  something? 

KURANO.     Yes,  boy. 

CHIKARA.  Will  you  give  up  the  drinking 
and  singing? 

KURANO.    Why,  boy? 

CHIKARA.  Father,  it  cuts  me  to  the  quick  to 
hear  the  men  about  you;  they  say  you  have  for- 
gotten our  master. 

KURANO.    I  have  not  done  that,  Chikara. 

CHIKARA.    I  am  sorry,  father.    Father. 

KURANO.    Yes? 


Act  HI]  THE  FAITHFUL  123 

CHIKARA.  If  Kira  were  to  die,  from  some 
illness,  should  we  all  go  back  home  and  be 
knights,  as  we  were  before? 

KURANO.  If  he  were  to  die,  boy;  have  you 
heard  that  he  is  ill? 

CHIKARA.  One  hears  all  sorts  of  things, 
father,  and  fears  all  sorts  of  things. 

KURANO.  Kira  is  cunning;  he  would  like 
us  to  fear  all  sorts  of  things.  But  what  is  the 
matter,  dear  lad?  Your  brow  is  burning.  You 
are  ill? 

CHIKARA.  I  am  not,  father.  I  was  only 
thinking,  that  if  he  were  to  fall  ill  and  die,  it 
would  be  a  bad  thing. 

KURANO.    Yes;  that  would  be  a  bad  thing. 

CHIKARA.  I  think  it  would  be  terrible, 
father.  [He  breaks  down. 

KURANO.  Ah,  boy,  this  is  the  world  we  used 
to  read  of  together. 

CHIKARA.  Have  you  heard  about  mother, 
father? 


124  THE  FAITHFUL  (Act  HI 

KUBANO.    No,  boy;  never  since. 

CHIKARA.  Father,  I  would  give  anything 
that  you  had  not  sent  her  away. 

KUBANO.  My  lad,  we  are  not  like  other 
people,  who  can  enjoy  themselves.  We  were 
born  knights,  with  duties. 

CHIKARA.  You  know  she  has  killed  herself. 
She  said  there  was  a  woman's  way  of  being 
faithful.  She  would  not  keep  you  back? 

KURANO.  No,  boy.  She  would  not  keep  me 
back.  She  would  not  keep  you  back.  So,  she 
is  dead.  Chikara,  my  boy. 

CHIKARA.    Yes,  father? 

KURANO.  Once  a  woman  of  our  ancestors 
was  defending  a  doorway  with  her  husband 
against  the  enemy.  She  was  shot  in  the  breast 
with  an  arrow.  She  cried  to  her  husband, 
''Never  mind  me.  But  use  my  body  as  a 
shield  and  keep  the  door."  So  he  did. 

CHIKARA.    Was  she  killed,  father? 

KURANO.    As  far  as  such  souls  die  she  died. 


Act  III]  THE  FAITHFUL  125 

CHIKARA.  You  never  told  me  that  tale  be- 
fore, father. 

KURANO.  No,  we  told  old  gentle  tales,  in 
the  evening  bell-time.  Did  I  ever  tell  you  of 
Choryo? 

CHIKARA.    No,  father.    Who  was  he? 

KURANO.  A  knight  like  us,  lad.  A  lord 
killed  Choryo's  friend;  it  was  Choryo's  duty  to 
avenge  him.  But  the  lord  was  camped  with  his 
army,  with  soldiers  all  about  him.  Choryo 
was  alone,  but  for  his  son. 

CHIKARA.    Did  they  do  anything,  father? 

KURANO.  They  crept  into  the  lord's  camp 
at  night,  right  up  to  his  tent,  through  all  the 
guards. 

CHIKARA.    Did  they  kill  him? 

KURANO.  No,  boy,  they  were  caught,  and 
put  to  death,  like  thieves. 

CHIKARA.    O  father! 

KURANO.  That  is  why  they  are  remembered, 
perhaps.  They  are  in  the  stories. 


126  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  III 

CHIKARA.  I  believe  you  are  making  up  these 
tales,  father. 

KURANO.  I've  been  thinking  in  these  last 
hours,  boy.  The  world  talks  much  about 
brotherhood;  it  is  nothing  to  fatherhood.  It  is 
a  proud  thing  to  be  a  knight,  and  to  have  my 
son  beside  me. 

Are  not  you  very  proud  to  wear  a  sword, 
Chikara? 

CHIKARA.    Yes,  father. 

KURANO.  All  the  evil  in  the  world  is  at  the 
mercy  of  a  sword. 

CHIKARA.  Why  do  they  let  Kira  wear  a 
sword,  father? 

KURANO.  Evil  can  be  very  strong  when 
knights  forget  their  oaths. 

Kira  is  to  be  made  Duke  to-morrow,  and  to 
have  our  lord's  estates. 

CHIKARA.  Are  we  going  to  kill  him  then, 
father? 

KURANO.    No,  boy ;  I  am  afraid  not. 


Act  III]  THE  FAITHFUL  127 

CHIKARA.    Father,  dear. 

KURANO.    Yes,  my  dear  lad. 

CHIKARA.  The  men  say  a  terrible  thing 
about  you. 

KURANO.    What? 

CHIKARA.  That  you  care  for  the  drink  more 
than  for  fighting  Kira. 

KURANO.  Yes;  they  may  say  -that.  Do  you 
think  that? 

CHIKARA.    No,  father. 

KURANO.  Ah,  lad,  I've  been  trying  to  blind 
Kira.  The  drink  was  nothing  but  a  blind. 

CHIKARA.    You  have  blinded  the  men,  father. 

KURANO.    Does  it  make  any  difference? 

CHIKARA.    It  makes  all  the  difference. 

KURANO.    You  are  wrong,  boy. 

CHIKARA.  If  I  am  wrong,  will  you  meet  them 
to-night  and  tell  them? 

KURANO.  How  your  voice  rings,  lad,  and 
only  last  year  you  were  playing  at  school.  Do 
you  remember? 


128  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  III 

CHIKARA.    Yes,  with  old  Daigaku. 

KURANO.     Now  you  are  alone  with  me. 

Listen,  Chikara,  there  has  been  a  break  in 
the  League;  over  seventy  have  left  us.  It  is 
all  over  with  the  League. 

CHIKARA.    Yes,  father. 

KURANO.  I  cannot  trust  the  others  now. 
Our  duty  rests  on  us  two.  Do  you  under- 
stand? 

CHIKARA.    It  is  on  us  two,  father. 

KURANO.  We  must  take  desperate  risks, 
like  Choryo.  Will  you  come,  now? 

CHIKARA.    Where  to,  father? 

KURANO.    To  Kira's  palace. 

CHIKARA.    Yes,  father. 

KURANO.  There  will  be  many  workmen 
about,  getting  ready  for  to-morrow,  perhaps 
we  shall  be  able  to  get  in.  Do  you  know 
Kira? 

CHIKARA.    No,  father. 

KURANO.    He  is  a  tall  man,  very  noble- 


Act  III]  THE  FAITHFUL  129 

looking,  with  grey  hair.  He  is  restless  and  has 
quick  eyes  and  a  great  voice.  He  is  very  glori- 
ous in  his  dress.  But  you  will  know  him  by 
one  thing;  he  commands. 

CHIKARA.     Yes,  father. 

KURANO.  If  we  get  in,  perhaps  we  shall  only 
see,  only  spy  out  the  land,  see  the  guards. 

CHIKARA.    Yes,  father. 

KURANO.  But  Kira  walks  sometimes  in  the 
courtyard. 

CHIKARA.    Yes,  father. 

KURANO.    There  is  a  kind  of  god,  boy. 

CHIKARA.    Yes,  father. 

KURANO.  If  we  see  Kira,  if  we  get  near  him, 
keep  my  left  side  and  back. 

CHIKARA.    I  will,  father,  while  I  live. 

KURANO.  You  are  like  your  mother,  boy. 
She  was  a  very  noble  woman,  Chikara.  She 
told  me  strange  things,  once,  long  ago.  Come, 
now. 

Sing  as  we  go,  lad. 


130  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  III 

CHIKAEA. 

Sometimes,  when  guests  have  gone,  the  host  re- 
members 

Sweet  courteous  things  unsaid. 
We  two  have  talked  our  hearts  out  to  the  embers, 

And  now  go  hand  in  hand,  down  to  the  dead. 

CURTAIN 


Ad  HI]  THE  FAITHFUL  131 


SCENE  II — The  RONIN  grouped  in  the  dark  in  the  snow, 
moaning  to  themselves. 

FIEST  RONIN.    Has  Lord  Kurano  come? 

SECOND  RONIN.    No. 

FIRST  RONIN.    Are  all  the  others  here? 

SECOND  RONIN.    All  who  are  coming. 

FIEST  RONIN.    Friends. 

SECOND  AND  THIRD  RONIN.  Let  our  friend 
speak. 

FIRST  RONIN.    Asano's  men. 

FOURTH  AND  FIFTH  RONIN.    Quiet!    Quiet! 

FIRST  RONIN.  This  is  the  last  meeting  of 
our  League.  Our  brotherhood  of  misery  comes 
to  an  end. 

[A  moan  passes  over  the  crowd. 

We  have  starved  and  wandered  as  Kurano 
bade.  Each  in  his  way  we  have  all  prepared 
for  an  attack  on  Kira,  but  to-day,  as  you  know, 
three-fifths  of  our  men  have  left  us;  all  hope  of 


132  THE  FAITHFUL  (Act  III 

revenge  is  gone.  Our  share  in  the  preparations 
was  to  supply  swords.  Here  they  are,  all  that 
we  have.  We  starved  and  begged  and  dug  in 
the  fields  to  buy  them.  We  shall  not  want  them 
now.  So  ...  let  them  lie. 

[Flings  them  down. 

SECOND  RONIN.  I  and  my  fellows  had  an 
easier  task.  We  had  only  to  spy  on  Kira.  We 
know  Kira's  palace  as  we  knew  ours.  These 
plans  are  our  share.  But  we  shall  not  want  them 
now.  Lie  there  with  the  swords. 

[Flings  them  down. 

THIRD  RONIN.  It  was  our  task  to  supply 
armour.  This  is  what  we  made.  We  made  it, 
after  work,  in  the  fields,  in  the  cold  nights,  out 
of  whatever  we  could  get,  broken  metal  and 
leather;  rusty  with  the  snow,  too.  Since  it  will 
not  be  used,  no  matter.  Ground  arms,  with 
the  rest. 

FOURTH  RONIN.  Our  band  swore  to  get 
hooks  and  ladders  in  case  we  should  scale 


Act  III]  THE  FAITHFUL  133 

Kira's  palace.  Here  they  are;  the  best  we  could 
get.  Heap  them  down.  We  shall  never  climb 
by  them. 

FIFTH  RONIN.  I  and  my  fellows  made  these 
lanterns  in  case  we  should  make  a  night  attack. 
They  will  not  light  us  to  any  revenge.  They 
may  lie  dark.  [Flings  them  down. 

FIRST  RONIN.  We  have  been  a  year  hi  the 
rice  plots,  as  farmers'  men. 

SECOND  RONIN.  We  have  been  joiners  and 
beggars  and  fruit-sellers. 

THIRD  RONIN.  We  have  been  wanderers, 
glad  of  broken  meats  at  the  door. 

FOURTH  RONIN.  We  have  been  fishermen 
at  sea. 

FIFTH  RONIN.  We  have  been  dogs  hi  the 
kennels,  outcasts. 

FIRST  RONIN.  And  whatever  we  have  been, 
these  things  were  made  at  the  risk  of  our  lives, 
when  it  was  death  by  decree  to  plot  revenge  or 
speak  revenge. 


134  THE  FAITHFUL  [Ad  III 

SECOND  RONIN.  We  might  have  spared  our- 
selves the  pain. 

FIRST  RONIN.  Not  ourselves.  Our  wives 
and  children  might  have  been  spared.  My  wife 
came  to  me,  she  had  stabbed  herself  in  the 
breast.  She  said:  "You  are  a  knight.  You 
must  avenge  your  lord,  not  think  of  women." 

Her  beauty  died  there. 

My  guest  went  from  my  fireside. 

Our  talk,  our  friendship, 

Broken,  unfinished, 

The  best  things  unsaid. 

SECOND  RONIN.  I  had  no  wife.  I  was  to 
have  been  married  before  the  ruin.  But  I  had 
to  think  of  my  lord,  not  of  marriage.  I  never 
saw  her  again.  The  girl  has  gone  now,  ruined, 
too;  and  whether  she  is  dead  or  in  a  teahouse 
I  shall  never  know. 

THIRD  RONIN.  I  had  no  wife,  nor  lover,  I 
am  a  widower.  I  had  a  little  son.  They  told 


Act  II1\  THE  FAITHFUL  135 

me  he  was  lying  on  the  flowers.  I  brought  him 
in  to  the  shed  where  we  lived,  we  had  no  proper 
home.  He  had  killed  himself  that  I  might  be 
free  to  kill  Kira.  His  little  hands  were  clenched 
on  the  dirk. 

FOURTH  RONIN.    My  father  and  mother  had 
a  right  to  peace,  after  eighty  years.    But  they 
were  afraid  that  they  might  be  a  burden  on 
me,  while  I  had  my  duty  to  my  lord  to  do. 
They  killed  themselves. 
And  all  these  lives  go  for  nothing. 
FIFTH  RONIN.    Those  losses  were  beautiful, 
you  can  be  proud  of  them.    Kira  brought  other 
losses  on  me.     I  saw  my  children  starved  to 
death. 

We  lay  on  the  reeds 

In  the  marshy  places. 

They  cried  for  food, 

For  the  sweet  cakes  of  old. 

"  Father,  father, 

I  am  so  hungry! 


136  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  III 

May  I  have  a  rice-cake? 
I  have  had  no  rice-cake 
All  to-day." 

All  around 

Were  the  marshy  places. 
They  cried  for  food, 
Those  sons  of  mine. 
"Father,"  they  said, 
"Will  it  soon  be  food-time? 
Can  you  feed  us,  father?" 
I  told  them,  "No." 
And  then  they  cried. 

Kira  it  was, 

The  great  Lord  Kira, 

Who  burnt  our  home 

And  drove  us  forth. 

It  was  his  deed 

That  starved  my  children, 

My  little  sons 

In  the  wild  swans'  lair. 


Ad  III]  THE  FAITHFUL  137 

We  cannot  kill  him, 
We  cannot  harm  him, 
We  cannot  rob  him 
Of  a  moment's  pleasure, 
The  unatoned  blood 
Cries  unheeded. 
We  are  poor  men 
Lost  in  the  snow. 

FIRST  RONIN.  That  is  a  true  song,  brother; 
we  are  lost  indeed. 

SECOND  RONIN.    Kira  triumphs. 

FIFTH  RONIN.  He  drinks  with  his  dancing 
women,  he  is  made  Duke. 

THIRD  RONIN.    He  will  be  harsher  to  us  now. 

FOURTH  RONIN.  I  thought  the  gods  checked 
pride,  but  evil  like  Kira's  checks  the  gods. 

FIRST  RONIN.  Since  all  is  useless,  we  will 
burn  these  things  and  dissolve  the  League. 

SECOND  RONIN.  There  is  nothing  else  that 
we  can  do. 


138  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  III 

THIRD  RONIN.    Heap  them  together. 

FOURTH  RONIN.    Pour  the  oil  upon  them. 

FIFTH  RONIN.  These  were  the  deserters' 
banners;  they  had  better  burn. 

FIRST  RONIN.  So,  pile  them,  and  good-bye 
to  revenge.  Would  the  deserters  were  burning 
with  them! 

VOICES. 

Burn,  with  our  hopes,  to  ashes,  all  is  past, 

The  waiting  in  the  snow, 

The  year-long  pain, 

The  faith  that  equal  justice  falls  at  last. 

We  may  depart,  but  not  with  hope  again. 

So  burn,  so  perish,  as  the  fire  drives, 

Our  hope,  our  love,  our  service,  all  our  lives. 

Enter  KURANO  and  CHIKARA 

VOICES.  You  come  too  late,  Lord  Kurano; 
you  should  have  come  before,  we  are  dis- 
banded. 

KURANO.    Not  yet,  not  for  a  moment.    There 


Act  III]  THE  FAITHFUL  139 

are  things  I  wish  to  say  to  you.  Tread  out  the 
fire.  Come  nearer. 

FIKST  RONIN.  What  have  you  to  say  to  us, 
Lord  Kurano? 

SECOND  RONIN.  You  can  say  nothing,  but 
that  we  are  ruined  while  Kira  is  triumphant. 

KURANO.  I  have  just  come  from  Kira's 
palace. 

THIRD  RONIN.    What  did  you  see  there? 

KURANO.  Preparations  for  to-morrow;  a 
muster  of  the  guards. 

FIRST  RONIN.    What  then? 

KURANO.    Kira  came  out. 

VOICES.    Ah,  the  accursed! 

KURANO.  He  had  gifts  for  the  guards  for 
guarding  him.  This  was  in  the  courtyard.  I 
was  watching  through  the  gates.  The  gates 
have  been  gilded  for  to-morrow,  they  are  like 
gold.  There  were  a  thousand  guards,  in  armour. 

VOICES.    We  know  their  strength,  too  well. 

KURANO.    I  had  not  seen  them  march  be- 


140  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  III 

fore.  They  marched  past  Kira  to  salute,  till 
the  courtyard  shook.  They  sang,  too,  rank 
after  rank,  a  song  in  praise  of  Kira.  "Aha, 
Aha,  Kira."  They  came  straight  towards  me; 
the  dust  in  the  court  was  like  smoke. 

They  came  straight  to  the  gates.  The  gates 
were  opened  and  they  came  through,  horsemen 
and  swordsmen,  with  fifes  and  banners.  They 
still  sang  to  Kira:  "Bow  down  to  Kira,  to  Kira 
the  Duke."  There  were  ten  picked  companies 
marching  there.  They  thought  I  was  a  beggar 
at  the  gate,  they  flung  money  to  me.  They  all 
came  glittering  out,  singing  their  song  about 
Kira  in  his  glory. 

When  they  had  all  come  out,  the  gates  were 
closed,  and  presently  a  little  old  man  came  out 
and  locked  them  and  a  boy  brought  rice  and 
flung  it  to  the  pigeons,  and  then  it  was  sunset, 
and  the  gilders  packed  their  tools  and  went 
home,  and  twilight  came  and  a  star,  and  they 
brought  lanterns  then  and  hung  them  in  the 


Ad  III]  THE  FAITHFUL  141 

courtyard  so  that  one  saw  shadows,  and  they 
lit  the  cresset  on  the  gate  so  that  it  was  all 
wavering  light. 

Presently  it  began  to  snow,  and  the  snow  came 
down  and  down,  but  I  stayed  on  by  the  gate  hi 
a  kind  of  dream,  for  things  came  into  my  head 
about  my  friend,  my  friend  Asano.  He  came 
into  me  here  next  my  heart,  talking  to  me. 
"Kurano,  Kurano,  and  all  my  men  of  old  time, 
fellowship  goes  on  after  death,  dear  brothers, 
in  its  struggle  against  wrong." 

And  I  fell  into  a  kind  of  dream  about  the 
Envoy,  who  is  to  make  Kira  Duke,  being  the 
man  who  condemned  Asano  a  year  ago;  and  I 
thought,  "Yes,  the  Envoy  is  coming,  and  the 
palace  is  a  sacred  place  and  so  Kira  has  dis- 
missed his  guards." 

YELLS.    What?    What? 

KURANO.  He  has  dismissed  them  till  to- 
morrow, and  on  this  snowy  night,  he'll  be  un- 
prepared, and 


142  THE  FAITHFUL  [Ad  HI 

We  can  attack  him  if  you  will. 

VOICES.  Free?  Free  to  attack  him?  The 
guards  are  gone.  We  can  attack  him. 

KUKANO.    Yes,  if  you  will.    Will  you? 

VOICES.    Very  well;  we  will;  to-night. 

KUKANO.  Let  us  arm,  then.  Chikara,  boy, 
we  are  going  to  die  in  a  few  hours.  They  are 
excited  now,  and  will  be,  for  a  time,  but  it  may 
pass.  I  look  to  you  to  help  me  to  keep  them 
thus. 

CHIKARA.    Very  well,  father. 

THE  RONIN.  We  are  ready,  Master 
Kurano. 

KURANO.  Now  we  will  cast  off  our  rags  for 
death,  and  say  our  death-poems.  This  is  the 
knife  that  killed  our  Master  Asano.  Let  us 
consecrate  ourselves  to  the  washing  of  the 
blood  away. 

CHIKARA.  I  am  the  youngest,  I  will  say  my 
death-poem  first: "  Life  is  a  banquet  spread,  but 
I  cannot  stay  for  the  feast." 


Act  III]  THE  FAITHFUL  143 

FIRST  RONIN.  I  will  say  mine:  "  To-morrow 
I  shall  be  under  the  grass,  but  to-night  I  am  a 
man  and  on  to-morrow's  morrow  men  shall 
talk  of  me." 

SECOND  RONIN.  I  will  say  mine:  "Young 
men  often  die  for  old  men,  it  is  the  way  of  the 
world.  I  am  an  old  man  dying  with  young 
men  in  the  young  man's  cause,  and  I  am 
happy." 

THIRD  RONIN.     I  will  say  mine: 

"  We  are  outlaws,  going  to  die  like  out- 
laws. 

"The  flowers  from  our  bones  will  be  better 
laws." 

FOURTH  RONIN.  I  will  say  mine:  "Brave 
men  going  to  battle  for  our  land  will  stop  to  lay 
flowers  upon  our  graves." 

KUBANO.  I  will  say  mine:  "Evil  is  very 
strong,  but  men  who  will  give  their  lives  are 
stronger." 

Let  us  go  out  into  the  night. 


144  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  III 

FIRST  RONIN.    We  should  have  a  banner, 
master. 

KUBANO  [raising  the  dagger].     This  is   our 
banner.    Play  music.    March! 

[They  go  out  to  a  droning  oboe  and  the  slow 
tapping  of  a  drum.    They  begin  a  paean. 

CURTAIN 


Act  III]  THE  FAITHFUL  145 


SCENE  III — The  inner  scene.    KIRA'S  palace.    SAGISAKA. 
KIRA. 

SAGISAKA.  Will  you  not  rest,  my  lord? 
To-morrow's  ritual  will  be  long;  you  will  be 
fatigued. 

KIRA.  Honours  do  not  fatigue.  About  those 
tenants  near  the  stream.  See  them  all  turned 
out  to-morrow,  and  their  houses  pulled  down. 
I  mean  to  dam  the  river  there  and  make  a  fish- 
pond. 

SAGISAKA.  If  you  made  the  fish-pond  above, 
my  lord,  or  shut  them  from  the  sea  below  .  .  . 
they  would  be  forced  out,  without  your  sending 
a  man. 

KIRA.  That  may  have  served  in  the  old 
days.  I  am  strong  enough  now  for  directer 
methods.  Have  you  had  any  news  of  Kurano 
since  his  suits  were  heard? 

SAGISAKA.    He  has  flung  away  his  swords. 


146  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  III 

He  goes  in  rags  like  a  beggar,  they  say;  drunk 
in  the  kennel  half  his  time;  mad  the  rest. 

KIRA.  Ah!  My  plan  throve,  you  see. 
Asano's  men  have  quarrelled.  Their  quarrelling 
so  soon  perhaps  seems  suspicious? 

SAGISAKA.  I  doubt  their  love  for  Asano; 
men  hate  philanthropists. 

KIRA.  It  might  have  been  better  to  have 
watched  them  more  closely. 

SAGISAKA.  People  so  broken  as  Asano's  will 
not  be  able  to  do  much. 

KIRA.  I  wonder  if  we  were  wise  to  dismiss 
the  guards. 

SAGISAKA.  We  should  hear  in  tune  if  there 
were  any  movement.  We  could  recall  the 
guards.  They  are  only  half  a  march  away. 

KIRA.  True.  Still.  ...  It  might  be 
better. 

SAGISAKA.  I  will  write  the  order  for  them 
to  return. 

KIRA.     Give     me     some    wine,    Sagisaka. 


Act  III]  THE  FAITHFUL  147 

[Drinks.]  I  will  have  up  that  woman  from  the 
village,  the  pretty  one. 

SAGISAKA  [writing].  The  one  you  saw  this 
morning? 

KIRA.    The  one  with  the  broad  brow. 

SAGISAKA.  You  have  an  eye  for  them,  my 
lord. 

KIRA.    She  is  here,  I  suppose? 

SAGISAKA.    I  will  send  her. 

KIRA.    What  is  this? 

SAGISAKA.  The  order  for  the  guards;  if  you 
will  sign  it  I  will  send  a  rider  with  it. 

KIRA.  Now?  It  must  be  midnight.  Whom 
would  you  send? 

SAGISAKA.    A  groom  will  take  it. 

KIRA.  It  is  a  bitter  night;  still  snowing. 
Do  you  know  if  the  horses  have  been  roughed? 

SAGISAKA.  They  were  going  to  rough  them 
to-morrow  if  the  frost  held. 

KIRA.  Send  me  the  stableman  to-morrow; 
the  fool  should  have  roughed  them  to-day. 


148  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  III 

SAGISAKA.  We  could  rough  one  now  if  you 
would  like  the  letter  sent. 

KIRA.  It  is  spoiling  six  men's  sleep  for  the 
sake  of  one  man's  folly.  I  will  cast  that  man, 
and  promote  the  other,  the  horse-breaker. 

SAGISAKA.    Very  well,  my  lord. 

KIRA.  What  are  the  women  like,  down  at 
the  fishery? 

SAGISAKA.  There's  a  girl  I  would  like  you  to 
see. 

KIRA.    A  girl,  eh? 

SAGISAKA.    She's  a  bright  little  thing. 

KIRA.    I  would  like  to  see  her  to-night. 

SAGISAKA.  She  cannot  be  here  till  to-mor- 
row. 

KIRA.    I    will    have    the    other    then,    for 
i 

now. 

SAGISAKA.    Here  are  the  sweetmeats. 

KIRA.    Thank  you,  Sagisaka. 

SAGISAKA.  I  will  tell  the  women  to  send 
her  up. 


Act  III]  THE  FAITHFUL  149 

KIKA.  Yes.  Good-night,  Sagisaka.  Oh, 
Sagisaka. 

SAGISAKA.    My  lord? 

KIRA.    Take  notes  of  this,  please. 

SAGISAKA.     Certainly,  Lord  Kira. 

KIRA.  To-morrow,  before  everything,  send 
out  two  whom  you  can  trust  to  find  out  about 
Asano's  men,  what  they  are  doing  and  what 
parties  they  are  in. 

SAGISAKA.  I  will  see  to  it  myself.  Is  there 
anything  else? 

KIRA.    We  do  not  renew  Nekko's  bond. 

SAGISAKA.    He  is  counting  on  us. 

KIRA.  I  cannot  renew;  the  man's  a  fool. 
There  was  another  thing  ...  it  has  slipped 
my  mind.  .  .  .  Oh,  about  Kurano. 

SAGISAKA.    Yes,  Lord  Kira? 

KIRA.  We  will  have  him  here,  where  he  can 
live  with  some  dignity;  after  all  the  man  is  a 
gentleman,  nobly  born.  I  do  not  like  to  think 
of  him  as  he  is. 


150  THE  FAITHFUL  [Ad  III 

SAGISAKA.    It  shall  be  done,  my  lord. 

KIRA.    You  disapprove? 

SAGISAKA.    No,  my  lord.    What  was  that? 

KIRA.    What? 

SAGISAKA.    I  thought  I  heard  a  tapping. 

KIRA.  It  was  the  snow.  That  window  often 
rattles  in  bad  weather. 

SAGISAKA.    It  sounded  more  like  a  branch. 

KIRA.  The  yellow  plum-tree,  no  doubt;  it 
needs  cutting  back.  [Drinks.]  Do  not  send 
the  girl  yet.  I  want  to  finish  that  problem  of 
chess. 

[He  takes  chessmen. 

SAGISAKA.  Very  well,  my  lord.  I  will  go, 
then. 

KIRA.  Good-night,  Sagisaka.  Open  the 
window,  as  you  go,  the  room's  too  hot.  Is  it 
still  snowing? 

SAGISAKA.  A  little.  The  moon's  up.  I'll 
leave  the  window.  [Passing  KIRA.]  I  believe 
you  should  move  the  knight,  my  lord. 


Act  III]  THE  FAITHFUL  151 

KIBA.  Nonsense,  Sagisaka;  look  where  the 
castle  is. 

SAGISAKA.    Well,  good-night,  my  lord. 

KIBA.  Good-night.  [SAGISAKA  goes  and  re- 
enters.]  Well? 

SAGISAKA.  Shall  I  send  that  order  to  the 
guards? 

KIBA.    To-morrow  will  do. 

SAGISAKA.    It  shall  go  at  sunrise. 

KIBA.  Are  you  anxious?  Do  you  feel  that 
the  guards  ought  to  be  here? 

SAGISAKA.    One  feels  safer  with  them. 

KIBA.    Ah,  we  are  safe. 

SAGISAKA.    I  hope  so,  my  lord. 

KIBA.    I  know  so.    What  is  to  hurt  us? 

SAGISAKA.    I  don't  know,  my  lord. 

KIBA.    Nor  I. 

SAGISAKA.  I  am  sorry  to  have  disturbed 
you,  my  lord. 

KIBA.    Wait.    Is  my  servant  outside? 

SAGISAKA.    He  is  just  outside  the  door. 


152  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  III 

KIRA.  He  will  call  when  I  am  ready.  Go 
to  rest  now;  we  shall  have  a  hard  day  to-morrow. 
[Exit  SAGISAKA.]  [To  himself.]  If  I  move  the 
knight,  the  castle  takes  it.  What  other  move 
can  the  knight  have?  Not  there.  There?  No. 
The  king  must  move.  [A  packet  is  thrown  in.] 
[Quoting.] 

"Earth  to  the  king  is  but  a  chessboard  laid, 
With  men  and  women  waiting  to  be  played." 

[A  tapping.]  What  is  that?  [Goes  to  window.] 
It  rattles,  yet  the  wind  has  fallen.  [Returning.] 
What  is  this?  [Picks  up  packet.]  Did  Sagisaka 
drop  this?  Was  it  thrown  in?  I  cannot  read 
it  in  this  light.  [Comes  forward  to  read.]  [Read- 
ing.] ''Danger.  Danger.  Danger!"  What  dan- 
ger? It  is  another  of  these  madmen.  Pah! 
[Settling  to  his  game.]  Now  if  I  moved  the 
pawn  .  .  .  the  pawn  is  the  key.  .  .  . 

A  VOICE.    Read  it,  Kira. 

KIRA.    What? 


Ad  III]  THE  FAITHFUL  153 

VOICE.    Read  it,  Kira. 

KIRA.  Who  said,  "Read  it,  Kira?"  [Crossing 
to  vrindow.]  Can  anyone  be  in  the  courtyard? 
It  is  all  bright  moonlight.  I  heard  a  voice. 

I  am  sure  I  heard  a  voice.  [Goes  to  door.] 
Ono. 

SERVANT.    Yes,  my  lord? 

KIRA.    Did  you  hear  a  voice  just  then? 

SERVANT.    No,  my  lord. 

KIRA.  There  was  a  voice  calling  my 
name. 

SERVANT.  I  heard  nothing,  my  lord.  It 
has  been  all  quiet  in  the  house. 

KIRA.    No  one  has  been  to  the  door? 

SERVANT.    No  one,  my  lord. 

KIRA.  Do  you  see  any  tracks  in  the  snow 
there? 

SERVANT.  It  is  all  white,  untrodden  snow, 
my  lord. 

KIRA.  Send  two  of  the  men  round  with 
lanterns  to  make  sure. 


154  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  III 

SERVANT.  Very  good,  my  lord.  Shall  I 
bar  the  window,  my  lord? 

KIRA.  Yes,  close  the  window;  then  go. 
[Exit  SERVANT.]  Strange.  There  was  a  voice.  I 
am  well;  am  I  well?  What  am  I  to  read? 
[Opens  and  reads.]  "You  are  to  be  killed  to- 
night. Hide.  Hide."  I  am  weary  of  these 
warnings.  I  will  have  them  ended.  It  is  strange 
that  they  still  come.  To-morrow  I  will  root  out 
those  Asano  people.  [Writes.]  There.  There. 
Then  these  warnings  will  end.  [The  little  god 
on  the  bracket  at  the  back  of  the  stage  falls  and 
breaks.]  What  was  that? 

ONO  enters. 

ONO.    Are  you  hurt,  my  lord? 

KIRA.    No.    This  fell. 

ONO.  May  the  gods  turn  it  to  our  good. 
What  made  it  fall? 

KIRA.  The  support  was  rotten,  look.  It  is 
broken  to  pieces. 


Act  III]  THE  FAITHFUL  155 

ONO.    May  the  gods  have  pity  on  us! 

KIEA.  Why  do  you  say  that?  You  are 
trembling. 

ONO.  This  is  the  god  of  this  house  and  it  is 
broken. 

KIRA.  It  is  a  piece  of  baked  clay  which  fell 
on  to  a  piece  of  stone. 

ONO.    It  is  your  god  and  it  is  broken. 

KIRA.    And  what  do  you  think  that  means? 

ONO.    May  the  gods  prevent  it  being  so! 

KIRA.    What  does  it  mean? 

ONO.    That  your  luck  is  passing. 

KIRA.  So  it  is,  Ono.  Lord  Kira  is  passing. 
To-morrow  he  becomes  Duke  and  Overlord. 
To-morrow,  did  I  say?  No,  to-day.  What 
time  is  it? 

ONO.    On  the  stroke  of  twelve,  my  lord. 

KIRA.    Did  the  watchmen  find  anything? 

ONO.  Nothing,  my  lord,  all  was  quiet,  but 
for  one  thing. 

KIRA.    What  was  that? 


156  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  III 

ONO.    The  dogs  were  howling. 

KIRA.    They  were  baying  the  moon. 

ONO.    No,  my  lord. 

KIRA.  Then  it  is  the  frost;  their  drink  is 
frozen. 

ONO.  They  were  baying  at  something  in  the 
ah*. 

KIRA.    What? 

ONO.  Something  over  the  house;  a  bird  that 
was  flying  away. 

KIRA.  It  was  an  owl  like  yourself,  Ono. 
Take  these  orders.  They  are  to  be  hi  the  Cap- 
tain's hands  by  noon  to-morrow.  Is  that  woman 
ready? 

ONO.    Yes,  my  lord. 

KIRA.  Go  down  with  those  orders  and  then 
send  her  up.  [Exit  ONO.]  [Picking  up  the 
shards.]  You  have  watched  out  your  tune. 
You  have  been  with  me  since  the  beginning. 
Now  we  shall  have  a  new  one.  A  famous 
artist  will  make  one  all  of  gold,  for  Duke 


Act  III]  THE  FAITHFUL  157 

Kira.    It  will  watch  me  go  on,  from  power  to 
power,  Duke  Kira,  Prince  Kira. 
Prince  Kira.    [Drinks.]    Why  not? 

The  door  opens  and  a  woman  appears. 

You  are  the  Starblossom? 

WOMAN.    Yes,  lord. 

KIRA.    Will  you  not  put  off  that  veil? 

WOMAN.    No,  lord. 

KIRA.    Let  me  help  you. 

WOMAN.    No. 

KIRA.  Do  not  shrink  from  me.  I  hear  you 
have  a  very  beautiful  voice,  a  thrilling  voice. 
These  sweetmeats  are  for  the  voice.  Will  you 
not  sing  to  me? 

WOMAN.    I  cannot  sing. 

KIRA.  Here  is  the  viol.  I  am  sure  that  you 
will  play  to  me. 

WOMAN.    I  am  terrified,  terrified. 

KIRA.  Take  this  viol,  now,  and  let  me  hear 
your  voice.  You  will  spoil  your  singing  if  you 


158  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  III 

are  terrified.  Look  at  these  pearls,  every  word 
that  you  utter  is  a  pearl;  these  shall  be  yours 
for  one  song.  Your  voice  is  cool  and  white; 
it  is  as  beautiful  as  these  pearls.  There  is  the 
hand,  now,  on  the  strings;  a  touch  and  music 
comes.  Sing  me  some  song  that  means  very 
much  to  you,  some  gentle  song  like  your  voice, 
a  delicate  song,  like  a  touch  upon  the  heart. 
You  have  suffered,  to  have  such  a  voice;  you 
have  had  a  sorrow. 

WOMAN.    Yes,  Lord  Kira. 

KIRA.  Sing  to  me  of  that,  if  it  is  not  too 
great  a  pain. 

WOMAN.    Are  you  Lord  Kira? 

KIRA..    Yes. 

WOMAN.    They  told  me  you  were  a  devil. 

KIRA.  You  see  that  they  were  wrong. 
Please  tell  me  of  yourself.  Sing  me  this  song 
of  yourself. 

WOMAN.  It  is  not  so  very  beautiful;  but  it 
is  common  enough. 


Ad  III]  THE  FAITHFUL  159 

KIRA.  It  will  be  human,  then,  if  it  is  com- 
mon. 

WOMAN.  It  is  human,  if  sorrow  is  hu- 
man. 

Queens  long  ago 

Knew  sorrowful  days, 

Seeing  their  husbands  killed, 

Their  sons  destroyed. 

Death  makes  the  full  heart  void, 

The  cold  heart  filled, 

Those  women  knew  Death's  ways, 

I  also  know. 

Father  and  mother  gone, 
He  whom  I  loved,  and  now 
My  sons,  my  lovely  sons, 
My  three  bright  boys 
Killed,  while  the  sunlight  shone, 
And  blossom  filled  the  bough; 
I  was  so  happy  once 
But  Death  destroys. 


160  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  III 

Yet,  although  Death  is  great, 
Earth's  many  million  tears 
Move  on  the  heart  of  things 
Quickening  a  change  to  be; 
And  drop  by  drop  the  sea 
Moans  from  its  springs, 
Its  cry  will  reach  God's  ears; 
Man  has  not  long  to  wait. 
Death  is  but  tool  to  Fate. 

The  cup  is  brimmed  in  time  and  then  it  spills 
over. 

KIEA.    You  are  young  to  have  sorrowed  so. 

WOMAN.  There  are  younger  ones  who  have 
sorrowed  worse.  If  you  knew  what  goes  on  in 
this  land  of  yours,  Lord  Kira. 

KIEA.  You  were  beautiful  when  you  said 
that. 

WOMAN.    Was  I? 

KIRA.  Very.  Listen,  will  you  tell  me  more, 
tell  me  of  what  goes  on  in  this  land  of  mine? 


Act  III]  THE  FAITHFUL  161 

WOMAN.    You  do  not  want  to  hear. 

KIRA.  From  you,  I  do.  There  is  another 
thing  I  want  to  hear  from  you. 

[The  oboe  and  the  drum  far  off. 

WOMAN.    Hark! 

KIRA.  You  will  not  put  me  away  like  that, 
Starblossom. 

WOMAN.  There  was  a  noise.  There  it  is 
again. 

KIRA.  We  will  not  mind  the  noise.  I  want 
to  hear  the  music  of  your  voice,  saying  some- 
thing. 

WOMAN.    No,  no,  no! 

KIRA.  Saying  something  sweet,  Starblos- 
som. What  a  beautiful  name,  it  is  beautiful 
like  your  voice.  Will  you  say  this  thing,  Star- 
blossom,  the  little  sweet  word,  while  I  hold 
your  hands  like  this,  and  look  into  your  beau- 
tiful eyes?  [The  music  loud,  and  voices. 

WOMAN.  What  is  it  that  I  must  say,  Lord 
Kira? 


162  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  III 

KIRA.  That  you  love  me,  Starblossom. 
How  you  tremble,  little  flower;  how  white 
you  are! 

THE  PAEAN  OF  THE  RONIN. 

The   time   dragged  by   till   our   hearts   were 

broken, 

The  time  dragged  by  till  we  cursed  the  sun ; 
Now  the  hour  has   struck   and  the  word  is 

spoken. 
The  time  is  fallen  and  the  deed  begun. 

Asano.  Asano.  Over  the  wall  with  the 
banner. 

KIRA.    What  do  they  say? 

WOMAN.     It  sounds  like  rejoicing. 

KIRA.  Ah,  yes.  To-day  I  receive  the  Duke- 
dom. 

WOMAN.    They  are  coming  to  cheer  you. 

A  VOICE.  Kira's  men.  Help  me,  Kira's 
men.  Help  me,  I'm  alone. 


Act  III]  THE  FAITHFUL  163 

A  VOICE.  Guard  the  great  gates.  Shoot  at 
the  roof. 

WOMAN.    You  must  show  yourself  to  them. 

KIRA.  You  have  not  said  that  you  love  me 
yet. 

WOMAN.    Do  you  want  me  to? 

KIRA.    Yes,  Starblossom. 

WOMAN.  You  have  not  shewn  that  you  love 
me. 

KIRA.    I  will  shew  you,  Starblossom. 

WOMAN  [flinging].    Fetch  me  my  comb. 

KIRA.  These  pearls  will  serve  instead. 
[Clasps  pearls  about  her  throat.]  Now  you  are 
prisoner,  beautiful  Starblossom. 

A  VOICE.  I  cannot.  Look!  They  are  all 
sticking  in  me. 

A  VOICE.    O,  I  am  killed  .  .  .  killed! 

A  VOICE.    Die,  you!    Where  is  he? 

[The  Paean  in  snatches. 

WOMAN.  Getaway.  Listen!  Oh,  what  was 
that? 


164  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  III 

KIRA.    What!    What  is  this,  then? 

[Strikes  gong. 

WOMAN.    They  are  fighting. 
KIKA  [going  to  door].    Where  is  Ono?    Ono! 
A  VOICE.    We  are  coming,  Master  Asano. 
WOMAN.    It  is  Kurano  and  his  men,  0  God! 
KIRA.    Quiet,  woman!    I  must  think. 

Enter  SAGISAKA 

SAGISAKA.    Run,  my  lord.    Get  out  of  the 
house.   It  is  Kurano.   Run.    Go,  man.   They've 
surprised  us.    Hide.    Run.    Go,  you  girl.    Run. 
KIRA.    Yes. 

[Drops  his  white  cloak  and  runs  to  door  right. 
SAGISAKA  hides  behind  the  door.  The 
girl  flies  door  left. 

SAGISAKA.    Can  I  get  that  knife  before  they 
come? 

[Crawls  out,  listens,  and  crawls  back. 
KURANO.    He  cannot  have  escaped. 
HAZAMA.    I  have  looked.    He  was  not  there. 


Act  HI]  THE  FAITHFUL  165 

FIRST  RONIN.  None  of  us  is  much  hurt. 
They  made  a  good  stand  in  the  courtyard. 

KURANO.  You're  cut  about,  Hara.  Bind  his 
head,  Kodera.  Come  in  here.  He  may  be 
here.  Come  carefully.  [They  enter. 

HAZAMA.  He  is  not  here.  This  is  a  living- 
room. 

SECOND  RONIN.  We  have  come  the  wrong 
way.  Go  back,  master. 

FIRST  RONIN.  There  is  his  wine.  He  is  not 
here.  He  has  got  away. 

HAZAMA.  I  believe  he  has.  Let  us  waste  no 
tune  here.  Come,  quickly. 

KURANO.    Wait.    What  is  this  wrapping? 

FIRST  RONIN.  A  cloak.  Some  of  then* 
clothes. 

KURANO.  It  is  his  cloak.  Look  at  the  purple 
edge. 

HAZAMA.  Master,  we  have  not  searched  the 
stables.  He  may  have  taken  horse  by  this. 
Run,  you. 


166  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  III 

KURANO.    Wait.    This  cloak  is  warm.     He 
must  be  near.    He  must  have  been  here  within 
the  minute.    Come.    We'll  search  this  way. 
SAGISAKA  [springing  out].    Not  yet. 

[He  sends  CHIKARA  reeling. 
HAZAMA.    Ah,  cockerel. 

[Stabs  him.     The  others  go  past. 
SAGISAKA.    I    have    got  .  .  .  one    of    you. 
[Falls.]    Tell  the  trumpeter  .  .  .  tell  the  trum- 
peter .  .  .  tell  the  trumpeter  ...  to  call  .  .  . 
the  call.  [Dies. 

HAZAMA.  They  have  him.  [Goes  to  door.] 
Come  this  way,  you  Ronin.  Come  this  way, 
Asano's  men.  Kira  is  taken. 

[A  shout  of  joy.  The  RONIN  flock  in  and 
line  back  of  stage.  KURANO  and  the  others 
bring  in  KIRA. 

KURANO.  Take  that  body  aside.  [SAGISAKA 
is  drawn  aside.]  Be  quiet,  please.  Duke  Kira, 
Overlord  of  this  Province,  Knight  of  the  Sacred 
Presence,  Chieftain  of  the  Captains,  Supreme 


Act  HI]  THE  FAITHFUL  167 

Counsellor.  We  are  the  friends  and  servants  of 
Lord  Asano,  who  was  done  to  death  by  you,  a 
year  ago.  We  come  before  you  with  a  message 
from  our  beloved  master  and  friend.  [He  dis- 
plays the  dagger.]  We  cannot  rest  till  our  mas- 
ter is  avenged.  We  have  the  honour,  Duke 
Kira,  to  request  you  to  kill  yourself,  with  this 
knife,  duly  prepared. 

[He  kneels  and  offers  the  dagger.     A  long 
pause. 

THE  RONIN  [kneeling].  We  have  the  honour, 
Duke  Kira,  to  request  you  to  kill  yourself. 

[A  pause. 

KTJRANO.  Duke  Kira,  in  the  name  of  our 
beloved  master,  and  friend,  we  request  you  to 
kill  yourself.  [A  long  pause.  Drawing  his 
sword.]  Justice  must  be  done,  then. 

CURTAIN 


168  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  III 


SCENE  IV — The  outer  scene. 

KURANO.  Come  this  way.  Come  this  way. 
It  is  but  a  little  way.  The  word  has  gone  to 
the  Envoy.  The  order  will  come  in  a  few 
minutes. 

This  is  the  grave.  This  is  the  holy  place. 
We  are  all  anointed  and  ready.  We  have  kept 
faith  this  night,  and  it  will  soon  be  morning. 
Look,  our  lanterns  are  dim,  and  there  is  all  the 
dew  on  the  grass.  This  is  Asano's  grave.  This 
little  green  heap  where  the  little  flowers  grow. 
So  now  we  have  come  here.  Oh,  the  joy  of  be- 
ing able  to  come!  We  are  the  happy  faithful 
and  the  birds  are  beginning. 

My  beloved  man,  whom  I  knew,  our  master 
and  friend,  lying  here  under  the  grass,  we 
come  here  on  our  knees,  to  say  that  we  have 
kept  faith.  We  have  broken  the  chain  and 
spilled  the  cup.  He  is  dead,  Asano. 


Act  777]  THE  FAITHFUL  169 

Asano,  beloved  master,  we  offer  you  back 
this  knife. 

It  was  stained  when  you  left  it  with  us.  We 
have  cleansed  the  stain. 

Take  it  from  us,  Master  Asano,  with  our  love 
and  with  our  lives. 

THE  RONIN.    Gladly  given,  Master  Asano. 

[A  trumpet  winds. 

KUEANO.  Now  I  receive  the  herald  who 
will  bid  us  come  to  you,  Asano,  in  whatever 
windy  place  the  dead  know,  to  be  with  you 
forever.  [A  trumpet  winds. 

The  HERALD  enters. 

THE  HERALD.  Kurano  and  the  retainers  of 
Asano  Takumi  no  Kami. 

KURANO.    We  are  here. 

THE  HERALD.    I  have  a  message  for  you. 

That  you  are  to  kill  yourselves  here,  on  this 
spot  for  the  murder  of  Duke  Kira. 

[He  presents  the  order. 


170  THE  FAITHFUL  [Act  III 

KURANO.  We  accept  the  order.  You  shall 
witness  our  obedience  to  it. 

THE  HERALD.    I  salute  you,  faithful  ones. 

KURANO.  You  trumpeters,  who  call  the 
faithful  to  death  in  all  the  armies  of  the  world, 
blow  a  long  point 

That  long-dead  heroes 
Manning  the  ramparts  of  God 
May  hear  us  coming, 
Baring  our  hearts  to  the  sword 
For  him  we  loved  so. 

CURTAIN 


Printed  in  the  United  Stated  of  America 


r  I^HE  following  pages  contain  advertisements 
of  books  by  the  same  author. 


BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR 


John  M.  Synge :  A  Few  Personal 
Recollections  with  Biographical  Notes 

BY  JOHN    MASEFIELD 
Author  of"  The  Everlasting  Mercy,"  etc. 

With  frontispiece .     Boards,  I2mo.    Edition  limited  to  $00  numbered 
copies,  $/.oo 

An  interesting  little  book  is  this  in  which  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
poets  of  the  day  gives  his  impressions  of  Synge.  The  matter  is  very  intimate 
in  nature,  narrating  Mr.  Masefield's  relations  with  the  Irish  writer,  repro- 
ducing conversations  with  him  and  throwing  in  this  personal  way  new  light 
on  the  character  and  genius  of  the  man. 


Philip  the  King,  and  Other  Poems 

By  JOHN    MASEFIELD 

Author  of  "  The  Tragedy  of  Pompey,"  "  The  Everlasting  Mercy," 
"  The  Daffodil  Fields  " 

Cloth,  izmo, 


"  Mr.  Masefield's  new  poetical  drama  is  a  piece  of  work  such  as  only  the 
author  of  '  Nan  '  and  '  The  Tragedy  of  Pompey  '  could  have  written,  tense  in 
situation  and  impressive  in  its  poetry.  ...  In  addition  to  this  important 
play,  the  volume  contains  some  new  and  powerful  narrative  poems  of  the  sea 
—  the  men  who  live  on  it  and  their  ships.  There  are  also  some  shorter  lyrics 
as  well  as  an  impressive  poem  on  the  present  war  in  Europe  which  expresses, 
perhaps,  better  than  anything  yet  written,  the  true  spirit  of  England  in  the 
present  struggle." 

"  Mr.  Masefield  has  never  done  anything  better  than  these  poems." 

—  Argonaut. 

"  The  compelling  strength  of  John  Masefield's  genius  is  revealed  in  the 
memorable  poem,  '  August,  1914,'  published  in  his  latest  volume  of  poetry." 

—  Review  of  Reviews. 

"  Reveals  a  notable  sense  of  literary  restraint,  and  a  remarkable  gift  of 
imaginative  analysis."  —  Nation. 


THE   MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

Publishers  64-66  Fifth  Avenue  New  York 


BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR 


The  Tragedy  of  Pompey  the  Great 

Cloth,  izmo, 

"  To  one  who  reads  Mr.  Masefield's  great  play  with  a  close 
understanding  of  his  meaning  there  cannot  be  too  high  a  praise 
with  which  to  applaud  the  achievement.  Though  classical  in 
theme  and  characters,  it  is  free  from  those  blemishes  of  pedantry 
which  usually  attend  such  efforts  by  modern  dramatists,  and  the 
reason  is  that  Mr.  Masefield  is  frankly  concerned  with  a  vital 
purpose  in  character  that  is  neither  ancient  nor  modern,  and 
strengthens  his  purpose  by  using  the  same  direct  and  vibrant 
prose  that  he  uses  in  his  English  pastoral  tragedy  of '  Nan.' " 

—  Boston  Transcript. 

" '  The  Tragedy  of  Pompey  the  Great '  is  different.  Masefield 
approaches  it  in  the  same  spirit  of  freedom  from  convention, 
with  the  same  boldness  of  the  actual  which  one  finds  in  his 
previous  work.  He  is  no  statuesque  Pompey,  spouting  prose 
lines  masquerading  as  poetry.  Masefield  has  given  us  Pompey 
the  man.  He  has  made  human  the  men  who  surrounded  the 
old  Roman.  And  his  drama  is  in  modern  prose,  yet  strikes  no 
note  of  discord."  —  The  Pittsburgh  Post. 

"  He  makes  the  character  of  Pompey  vivid  from  the  start." 

—  San  Francisco  Chronicle. 

"It  is  an  astonishing  concise  piece  of  writing,  in  which 
dramatic  unities  are  respected,  as  well  as  the  limitations  of  the 
stage,  to  such  an  extent  that  the  play  would  be  almost  conven- 
tional were  it  not  for  the  fact  that  it  adds  another  splendid 
figure  to  modern  English  drama.  .  .  .  The  character  that 
Masefield  has  drawn  with  undoubted  historical  accuracy,  as  well 
as  fine  feeling,  is  a  really  superb  figure." — Brooklyn  Daily  Eagle. 


THE   MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

Publishers  64-66  Fifth  Avenue  New  Tork 


BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR 

New  Editions  of 
JOHN  MASEFIELD'S 

Other  Works 
THE  DAFFODIL  FIELDS 

Second  Edition.     $1.25 

"Neither  in  the  design  nor  in  the  telling  did,  or  could, 
'Enoch  Arden'  come  near  the  artistic  truth  of  "The  Daffo- 
dil Fields.'  " — Sir  QuiLLER-Coucn,  Cambridge  University. 

THE  STORY  OF  A  ROUND-HOUSE, 
AND  OTHER  POEMS 

New  and  Revised  Edition.    $1.30 

"The  story  of  that  rounding  of  the  Horn!  Never  in 
prose  has  the  sea  been  so  tremendously  described."— 
Chicago  Evening  Post. 

THE  EVERLASTING  MERCY  and  THE 
WIDOW  IN  THE  BYE  STREET 

(Awarded  the  Royal  Society  "of  Literature's  prize  of  $500.) 
New  and  Revised  Edition.     $1.25 

"Mr.  Masefield  comes  like  a  flash  of  light  across  con- 
temporary English  poetry.  The  improbable  has  been  ac- 
complished; he  has  made  poetry  out  of  the  very  material 
that  has  refused  to  yield  it  for  almost  a  score  of  years." — 
Boston  Evening  Transcript. 


PUBLISHED  BY 

THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

64-66  Fifth  Avenue  New  York 


IMPORTANT  BOOKS  OF  POETRY 


By  JOHN  MASEFIELD 
SALT  WATER  BALLADS 

Cloth,  i2mot  $f.oo 

"  Masefield  has  prisoned  in  verse  the  spirit  of  life  at  sea." 

—  New  York  Sun. 

"...  full   of    memorable    sea    pictures."  —  San   Francisco 
Chronicle. 

"...  shows  Masefield  at  his  best."  —  Philadelphia  Record. 

"...  real   poetry,   musical    and    spontaneous."  —  Literary 
Digest. 


A  MAINSAIL  HAUL 

Cloth,  i2mo, 

"The  cruelty,  the  primitive  and  passionate  brutality,  the 
rough  fearlessness,  the  superstitious  horror  and  fantasy,  of  hu- 
man nature,  under  the  spell  of  the  sea  and  the  tyranny  of  ships, 
are  in  these  pages  as  we  find  them  in  the  pages  of  a  very  few 
of  the  renowned  sea  writers."  —  Boston  Transcript. 

"There  is  strength  about  everything  Masefield  writes  that 
compels  the  feeling  that  he  has  an  inward  eye  on  which  he 
draws  to  shape  new  films  of  old  pictures.  In  these  pictures  is 
freshness  combined  with  power."  —  New  York  Globe. 


THE   MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

Publishers  64-66  Fifth  Avenue  New  York 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


Form  L9-20m-7,161(C1437s4)444 


TMJ  " 

UNIVERSITY  C  i 


1  * 
iLIFORNIA 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY .FACILITY 


A  000  557  225  0 


PR 
602$ 

M37f 


